The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) researchers have found that daycare facilities carry significant allergens from sources such as fungus, cats, cockroaches, dogs, dust mites, and mice.  From the press release “...63 percent of children under five spend 37 hours per week in child care. Exposure to indoor allergens has been shown in previous studies to increase the likelihood of developing asthma or allergic diseases, especially in vulnerable children....” Now, this study was done in the South, but since the resulting allergens are not limited to one region, this is certainly worth following.  Hopefully, more studies will follow in other parts of the U.S.

This is very interesting research by the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences (NIEHS) suggesting our children are exposed to many different types of allergens at daycare.  The results represent both in-home daycare and child care centers, and the data was compiled using questionnaires and dust sample collections.  Dog and cat allergens were found in most of the centers, although no dog or cat was present, leading the researchers to believe that some allergens are brought in on childrens’ clothes.  The good news is that most of the allergen levels found in the daycares were statistically similar to those in Southern homes, and there does not seem to be mention of neglect on the part of the facilities.