Clean Air Can Have A Huge Impact On Your Child’s Growth

Air pollution is not only a global health issue, but it’s also a growing concern among most people, including parents. Today’s children are tomorrow’s leaders in life and as their parents we need to teach them how important the environment is.  Air quality is often taken for granted and with some lifestyle changes, we can help to protect this resource. Through educating our children and role modeling, parents can guide children to lead a wonderful, brighter and cleaner future.

Today’s children live in a completely different world than past generations. Many advances in the science industry have diminished life-threatening infectious diseases such as measles and polio. Unfortunately, with all the great technological advances, there comes the negative consequences we all face. The exposure to environmental pollutants has threatened the health of not only adults, but children through a lack of clean air.

Clean air is crucial for children. There are many health consequences when it comes to air pollution. Air pollution can greatly affect our children’s immune system which is their defense against infections. Air pollution can affect the amount of oxygen, small children breathe into their lungs. When breathing in polluted air versus clean air, many children and adults can have adverse reactions, which can lead to a mild irritation in the nose, eyes, or even the throat. Be especially cautious of children that have asthma, as they are impacted the most when it comes to air pollution.  I’ve seen it in my asthmatic child which raised concern for me.

Adults May Be Able To Resist More, But Children Have Weaker Constitutions:

• Children’s respiratory organs are not fully matured which makes them much more vulnerable to the toxic substances the air releases.
• Children have far narrower airways than adults and the tissue inflammation is affected by the pollutants in the air.
• Children have far weaker immune systems and because of this, their systems are more vulnerable to foreign substances found in air pollution.
• Children inhale more air, which means more air pollution, per pound of body weight than adults breathe in.
• Children tend to breathe in through their mouths rather than their noses. This way of breathing, bypasses the trap that stops foreign particles from entering the lungs, the cilia and mucous, which are found in the nose.
• Children have yet to recognize the affects of air pollution as quick as their parents do. They will tend to exacerbate the effects of air pollution.

Of course we don’t expect you to wave a wand and magically create clean air, but knowledge is power and preparation is key to combat these pollutants.  If you’re still concerned, consider this list of the U.S.’s cities with the cleanest air quality.