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 The air you breathe may not matter much to you if you don’t
have a child with asthma, allergies, or bronchitis. Perhaps you’ve never had a
child wake up in the middle of the night with croup, or a 20 month old toddler
with pneumonia. You probably haven’t thought twice about the air your baby,
toddler, or older child is breathing everyday, whether in your home, day care,
or school. Should you be concerned?
The US Environmental Protection Agency thinks you should,
stating that indoor air pollution is one of the greatest risks to human health.
As much as 100 times more polluted than outside air, possible health effects of
poor indoor air quality include irritation, allergies, asthma, cancer, as well
as reproductive and developmental problems. This has been evident to the myriad
of families with children suffering from these serious conditions, but to the
families who have not yet seen the danger of poor indoor air quality, the
effects may not show up until much later when cancer invades the family. It is
important to protect both sick and healthy children in order to prevent health
problems later on. But what are we protecting them from?
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Mold and mildew- Can be found in
both older homes/buildings as well as new.
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Pesticides and insecticides- Can
come from yours or your neighbor’s lawn (or farm), as well as monthly pest
maintenance.
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VOCs (Volatile Organic Compounds)-
Chemicals used to manufacture and maintain building materials, interior
furnishings, cleaning products, and personal care products. There may be
anywhere from 50 up to hundreds of individual VOCs in the indoor air of a
building.
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Tobacco smoke
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Pollen
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Dust mites
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Pet dander
The problem with these air invaders is that generally, all
of them are present at the same time, in a closed house or school building with
little or poor ventilation. Without fresh air, children are breathing irritants
all day, since most children spend 80% of their time indoors. Babies spend even
more of their time indoors. Since newer houses are built with windows and doors
that seal off the outdoors much better than houses of centuries ago, we are
living in tightly closed spaces with more irritants and chemicals bombarding us
than ever before.
The result? Asthma rates among children are reaching
alarming numbers. One in 12 children suffers from asthma - 8.7 percent or 6.3
million children in the year 2001 compared to 3.6 percent in 1980. While the
specific reasons for this increase are still unknown, exposure to specific
allergens, volatile chemicals and strong odors are known to trigger asthma and
other respiratory symptoms. Headaches are also common, along with behavior
changes, learning disabilities, eye, nose and throat irritations, and rashes.
Absentee rates are typically higher in “sick” buildings, such as offices or
schools with poor ventilation. Babies in homes with numerous chemicals don’t
fare better when air quality is not a priority. Steps to improving indoor air
quality is a top priority in families that want the healthiest children, and
want to protect them from long-term damage.
How to Improve Indoor Air Quality in Your Home
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Do
not install carpet. Carpet must be cleaned every 6 months to keep dust mites
and other allergens at bay. Hard floors do not allow these things to hide
and can be cleaned much more effectively.
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Use a
vacuum cleaner with a HEPA filter on hard floors.
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Dust
frequently, and design your home with as few dust catchers as possible (dust
catchers include knick-knacks, heavy drapes, sheers, etc.)
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Use
homemade cleaners from soap, baking soda, vinegar, etc. or purchase cleaners
from a health food store. Do not purchase “safe” products if you don’t know
the ingredients. Some “safe” products are not as safe as they claim.
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Do
not use perfume, and use personal care products that have natural
ingredients or ingredients that have been proven safe. (These will not be on
the shelves of typical grocery stores or drug stores.) Our favorite is
Usana
Health Sciences, which must be purchased from distributors. Other brands can
be purchased at Whole Foods stores or health food stores.
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Stop
monthly pesticide spraying around your house or in it. Use natural methods
when possible. Most houses will remain bug-free even without monthly pest
maintenance.
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Use low VOC paints when possible, and be wary of any new items that
may release gases into a baby’s air space.
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Do
not smoke. Even the smoke on your clothes can set off an asthma attack in
sensitive children.
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If
you have a basement and live in a humid climate, you MUST keep a
de-humidifier in your basement. This helps to keep mold problems at bay.
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Provide
fresh air through an open window, or take your children outside when
appropriate.
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Do not use plug-in air fresheners or burn
paraffin scented candles
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Use
an
Airwise air purifier in your baby’s room, or where he spends the majority
of his day. (Also use for older children with compromised respiratory
systems).
 An
Airwise air purifier is integral to improving your
indoor air quality. If you skip all of the other steps, using an Airwise unit
alone will greatly improve your indoor air quality by removing any invaders from
the air. How does it work? The Airwise® Purifier is based on advanced technology
that goes beyond mechanical filtration methods like high-efficiency particulate
air (HEPA) and other methods like electrostatic filtration, ozone, ultraviolet
light and ionizers. Airwise technology (photocatalysis plus WisePointe™)
oxidizes odors, fungi, mold and other parasites, and toxic chemical gases. At
the same time, it settles dust and other large particles out of the air and
destroys microorganisms like bacteria and viruses.
Airwise units
create inductive warmth, drawing humidity into the purifier. When humidified air
enters the target area, a photocatalytic reaction occurs and superoxide ions and
hydroxyl radicals are created. As an added benefit, positively charged indoor
pollutants are treated by the WisePointe technology which generates active
negative ions at an accelerated rate, thereby enhancing the speed at which dust
and other airborne particles are dropped out of your breathing space. Airwise
technology works “outside of the box” so it is not necessary for polluted air to
actually enter the purifier.
Airwise units
are small and light, and can be moved from room to room. If you have a
particular child you want to protect, you can move one unit from his bedroom to
the living room during the day, or even send it to school or day care each day.
If you examine the amount you have paid in doctor’s visits and medication, you
will probably see that the cost of an Airwise unit is a drop in the bucket
compared to possible future costs of healthcare. If you move into a brand new
home, it is imperative that your baby sleeps with an Airwise unit in her room,
at least for the first year or two. New building products, paint, wall paper,
and carpet off-gas chemicals that are dangerous to developing brains.
We all want
what’s best for our children, but if we don’t know the dangers to look out for,
we are not able to protect them. We hear about safety measures all the time and
how to protect our children from kidnapping, fires, car accidents, etc. But what
about every breath they take in, day in and day out, that is full of air
polluted by chemicals, toxins, and mold? Are we protecting them from the real
dangers? Now that you know, please take this information and do what you are
able to do to make a difference in your child’s environment. If you don’t, who
will?
Author’s Note: Every air
purifier comes with its own “mumbo-jumbo” so the above explanation of how the
Airwise purifier works may mean very little to you. The proof is in the pudding,
right? That’s what I thought, too. Then we were able to test Airwise units on
ourselves. We are a family with a history of respiratory disorders. My son had
croup as a baby, pneumonia at age 20 months, and allergies and asthma by the
time he reached 3 years old. As a child, I got bronchitis at least once a year,
was plagued with various ear, nose, and throat problems, and as an adult suffer
chemical sensitivities as well as cat, pollen, and dust allergies. An allergic
reaction can stick with me for weeks, so it is very important that I avoid them
as much as possible. When we were able to put the Airwise purifier to a true test, I was
astounded at
the results. That is why I feel it is imperative to share this
information with other parents. I don’t have to know the science behind it when
I can see the proof for myself!
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