We all know about the dangers of indoor fungi. We keep cleaning our rooms and kitchens to get rid of the mold that can cause many health problems. But if you have a young child, you may want to go easy on the sponge and broom. That’s because indoor fungi could play an important role in allergy prevention.
The Research
In 2007, a team of US-based researchers looked into the effects of indoor fungi on infants. They focused primarily on fungal glucans. In adults, these small fungal molecules are the main cause of respiratory problems. And because they’re so present in a home environment, infants get in touch with them on a regular basis.
The authors found that the infants who had a brush with these molecules were less likely to have breathing problems due to an allergy. In fact, their likelihood to wheeze was three times less than the kids who weren’t exposed to indoor fungi. The authors have thus noted that fungal glucans could help allergy prevention in infants.
The Risks of Indoor Fungi
Of course, this doesn’t mean that there are no risks of exposure to indoor fungi. A 2012 study managed to identify the three types of indoor fungi that can raise your child’s risk of asthma.
According to the authors, they are:
These three types of fungi usually occur in homes that have sustained damage from water. The authors found that infant exposure to these fungi was the sole risk factor for getting asthma before school age.
Final Word
Research suggests that infant exposure to indoor fungi might help allergy prevention in children. But at the same time, these fungi can cause asthma at a very early age.
It is thus important to keep your home clean, particularly the kitchen and the bathroom. Also, if there’s any water damage to your home, you should fix it as soon as possible.
