Learn about major environmental health issues in child care settings and what you can do to maintain your child’s health.
On this page:
Asthma
Asthma is a serious and sometimes life-threatening chronic disease that affects the health and quality of life of 25 million Americans, including seven million children. Poor and minority children are more likely to have asthma and their health outcomes are worse. Black children are twice as likely to be hospitalized and four times as likely to die from asthma as white children.
Allergens and irritants in child care and other indoor settings play a significant role in triggering asthma attacks. The tools in this section provide information on how to reduce children’s exposure to common asthma triggers including secondhand smoke, dust mites, molds, cockroaches, and other pests.
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Indoor Air Quality
There are so many sources of indoor air pollution in childcare facilities that the air is considered to be two to five times more polluted than outdoor air. Common sources of indoor air pollution include combustion sources such as oil, gas, kerosene, coal, wood, and tobacco products; building materials and furnishings as diverse as deteriorated, asbestos-containing insulation, wet or damp carpet, and cabinetry or furniture made of certain pressed wood products; products for household cleaning and maintenance, personal care, or hobbies; central heating and cooling systems and humidification devices; and outdoor sources such as radon, pesticides, and outdoor air pollution.
Children are more susceptible to the effects of contaminated air because they breathe in more oxygen relative to their body weight than adults. The following links provide information about indoor air quality and the steps that can be taken to improve indoor air quality in a childcare facility.
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Lead
Lead is particularly dangerous to children because their growing bodies absorb more lead than adults do and their brains and nervous systems are more sensitive to the damaging effects of lead. Babies and young children can also be more highly exposed to lead because they often put their hands and other objects that can have lead from dust or soil on them in their mouths.
Children may also be exposed to lead by eating and drinking food or water containing lead or from dishes or glasses that contain lead, inhaling lead dust from lead-based paint or lead contaminated soil, or from playing with toys with lead paint. The following links provide information about the dangers of lead poisoning and the steps that can be taken to prevent lead poisoning in a childcare facility.
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Mercury
Elemental mercury, a shiny, silver-white metal that is liquid at room temperature, is used in older thermometers, compact fluorescent light bulbs (CFLs), and some electrical switches. Children can be exposed to elemental mercury vapor when products that contain mercury break and expose mercury to the air, particularly in poorly-ventilated spaces. Mercury can affect the nervous system.
Because infants and children are still developing, they are particularly sensitive to the effects of mercury on the nervous system. The following links provide information about the health effects of mercury exposure and steps that can be taken to prevent exposure to mercury in childcare facilities, including what to do when a thermometer or a CFL breaks.
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Pesticides/Integrated Pest Management (IPM)
Exposure to pests such as cockroaches, rodents, ants, and stinging insects in childcare centers may place children at risk for disease, asthma attacks, bites, and stings. Improper use of pesticides can also place children at risk. A recent study of pesticide use in child care centers revealed that 75% of centers reported at least one pesticide application in the last year.
Several factors increase both children’s exposures and their vulnerability to these exposures compared to adults. Children spend more time on the floor, where residues can transfer to skin and be absorbed. Young children also frequently place their hands and objects in their mouths, resulting in non-dietary ingestion of pesticides.
Children are less developed immunologically, physiologically, and neurologically, and therefore may be more susceptible to the adverse effects of chemicals and toxins. There is increasing evidence of adverse effects of pesticides on young children, particularly on neurodevelopment. The following links provide information about the health effects associated with exposure to pests and pesticides and the steps that can be taken to use integrated pest management strategies in childcare facilities.
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Plastics
Certain types of plastics contain chemicals such as phthalates, bisphenol A (BPA), polyvinyl chloride (PVC), and polystyrene that may be toxic to children. These plastics can be found in baby bottles, sippy cups, teething rings, pacifiers, and toys. When these items are in a child’s mouth or when they are heated (such as in a microwave), children can be exposed to harmful chemicals that have the potential to mimic or suppress hormones and disrupt normal growth and development. The following links provide information about the dangers of these types of plastics and the steps that can be taken to prevent toxic contamination as a result of plastics in a childcare facility.