Monday, July 13, 2015

The Use of Bleach and the Frequency of Infections in Children

In the July 2015 issue of the Natural Medicine Journal, author Sarah Bedell Cook discusses the findings of the Health Effects of Indoor Pollutants:  Integrating Microbial, Toxicological, and Epidemiological Approaches (HITEA) project. This project evaluated over 9000 children, between the ages of 6-12 years, attending schools in Spain, the Netherlands, and Finland. The study looked at the frequency of infections and the use of bleach as a home cleaning disinfectant. The study found that the children exposed to bleach at least 1 time per week had a higher frequency of infections.  Specifically in the Netherlands, a significantly increased risk for influenza (27% higher) was seen, in Finland, a significantly increased risk for tonsillitis (141% higher) and sinusitis (118% higher) was seen, and in Spain, a significantly increased risk for all infections (28% higher) was seen. The information gathered from this project provides another great reason to shift to natural based cleaners. There are a number of products available for purchase and we can also make our own cleaners with vinegar, baking soda, essential oils. 

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