Kids and mold allergy
Dear George,
Could my 9 month old keeping getting sick from mold being places in my home? She’s having problems breathing, weezing all the time.Someone told us it could be from mold growing somewhere in our home and we just dont know!
Don’t know in West
Dear West,
Yes, your child could certainly be getting sick from being exposed to mold. Exposure to mold spores can cause allergic reactions. There is a general consensus that there is a correlation between mold exposure and asthma in children; and, in fact some doctors believe that significant long term exposure is related to a condition called “Multiple Chemical Sensitivity.”
But before you go getting overly alarmed you can do two things:
1. Get mold testing done in your house. This will pin down specifically what your child is being exposed to–if indeed he or she is being exposed. It will also set a baseline for remediation if the test numbers are significantly indoors than outdoors.
2. Ask your pediatrician or a Pediatric Immunologist about their recommendations regarding allergy testing of your nine month old. The doctor may even request the results of your mold testing sample if he needs them to check your baby’s blood for mold allergens and total serum IgE. The pediatrician may also watch your baby for signs of asthma.
*IgE — a class of immunoglobulins including antibodies that function especially in allergic reactions