2 MOLDY DAY-CARE-CENTERS - A FOLLOW-UP-STUDY OF RESPIRATORY SYMPTOMS AND INFECTIONS

The aim was to study the respiratory symptoms among children exposed t o indoor air molds in a day-care environment in Finland. Two day-care centers with a mold problem and two reference day-care centers were in cluded in the study and the health data of the children were collected with a follow-up study of two periods. A total of 229 children 3-7 ye ars old attended the day-care centers. During the first follow-up peri od, the children in the two day-care centers with mold problems had a significantly increased risk of sore throat, purulent and non-purulent nasal discharge, nasal congestion, hoarseness and common cold. During the second follow-up period, a significantly increased risk of purule nt nasal discharge, nasal congestion, hoarseness and cough was observe d. Upper respiratory tract symptoms, at least once during the study pe riod, were more prevalent among the children attending mold-problem da y-care centers. The mold-exposed children had such symptoms repeatedly or the symptoms were prolonged. In conclusion, in the mold-problem da y-care centers, overall morbidity for respiratory symptoms and for com mon cold increased in comparison with the reference day-care centers. (C) Indoor Air (1997).