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Children’s Susceptibility
Children, tells Dr. Cheriathu,
may be more vulnerable to
the effects of air pollution
than adults. “Children’s lung
development proceeds through
proliferation of pulmonary
alveoli and capillaries until age
two, following which alveolar
expansion occurs until ages five
to eight,” he says. “The lungs do
not complete their growth until
full adult stature is achieved in
adolescence.”
Also Dr. Cheriathu explains that
young children have a higher
resting metabolic rate and rate
of oxygen consumption per unit
body weight than adults because
they have a larger surface per
unit body weight and because
they are growing rapidly.
“In addition, children have
narrower airways than those
of adults,” he tells, therefore
irritation caused by air pollution
Possible Causes
According to the World
Health Report, the biggest
contributors to poor health in
the world’s children include
being underweight, poor
sanitation and hygiene, and
indoor pollution, indicates Dr.
Cheriathu. “Young children
spend most of their time
indoors where levels of air
pollution can be much higher
than levels outdoors,” he
says. “Also tobacco smoke is
linked to acute otitis media.”
Outdoor exposure to ozone
is linked to bronchospasm
and asthma attacks in some
children. “Even exposure to
indoor molds is associated
with acute pulmonary
hemorrhage among infants,”
he explains and also high
exposure to particulate
and secondhand smoke is
associated with sudden infant
death syndrome (SIDS).
that would produce only a
slight response in an adult can
result in potentially significant
obstruction in the airways of a
young child. Also children have
shorter stature, so they breathe
closer to the ground.
Risk Factors
Upper respiratory infections are
the most frequently occurring
illness in childhood, points out
Dr. Cheriathu. “Environmental
factors that increase the
likelihood of acquiring colds
include attendance at child
care facilities, smoking, passive
exposure to tobacco smoke,
low income, and crowding,” he
notes. “Since upper respiratory
infections are transmitted by
contaminated hands or by
sneezing, frequent hand washing
after contact with an infected
person reduces the risk of
secondary infection.”
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