MedWire News: Children who regularly swim in chlorinated swimming pools, both indoor and outdoor, are at higher risk for developing asthma than children who do not, according to two studies presented this week at the European Respiratory Society annual congress in Stockholm, Sweden.
An Italian team described how young competitive swimmers, who regularly trained in an indoor pool, had a much higher rate of allergic sensitization than would be expected. Some of these children also had bronchial hyperreactivity (BHR) to methacholine.
Meanwhile, Belgian researchers presented data that showed how regular attendance at an open-air pool can increase immunoglobulin (Ig)E levels and asthma risk in children.
The premise behind both studies is that toxic chlorination products just above the surface of the water can damage the airways of children if breathed regularly enough.
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