I guess *fathers* with asthma are somehow not affected by this (or so the concluding statement would lead me to believe). -Marjorie Allan Children's Hospital at Strong > ---------- > From: Len Leshin[SMTP:] > Reply To: Len Leshin > Sent: Friday, October 01, 1999 4:48 PM > To: > Subject: disposable diapers and asthma > > (The take-home lesson: use cloth diapers on mice. > > --Len) > > > Disposable diaper emissions cause asthma-like symptoms in mice > > WESTPORT, Oct 01 (Reuters Health) - Chemical emissions from > disposable diapers leads to pulmonary irritation and other symptoms in > exposed mice, researchers report in the September-October issue of the > Archives of Environmental Health. > > Drs. Rosalind C. Anderson and Julius H. Anderson of Anderson > Laboratories, West Hartford, Vermont found that following exposure to > "...two brands of disposable diapers, many mice exhibited reduced > mid-expiratory airflow velocity, sensory irritation and pulmonary > irritation." > These effects were increased with repeat exposure. > > "Chemical analysis of the emissions revealed several chemicals with > documented respiratory toxicity," the authors write. > > Exposure to a third brand of disposable diaper did not cause irritation, > but > negatively affected breathing rate and pattern, while only slight > respiratory > effects were noted with cloth diapers. > > The team concludes that "[d]isposable diapers should be considered as > one of the factors that might cause or exacerbate asthmatic conditions." > > Dr. Julius Anderson told Reuters Health that further studies "...are > needed > to determine whether child care products such as disposable diapers are > contributing to the worldwide childhood asthma epidemic." > > He recommended that in children "...with asthma or other respiratory > diseases [one] should probably avoid disposable diapers and use cloth > diapers instead...and mothers with asthma should probably avoid handling > disposable diapers." > > Arch Environ Health 1999;54:353-358. > > group. >