Mama Bears Don’t Like Mold

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Necessary News

Monday, August 15, 2011

by Rachel Lincoln Sarnoff, Executive Director/CEO, Healthy Child Healthy World

I never thought much about mold, until my first child was born. We came home from the hospital and discovered greenish black mold covered the wall behind the family bed. With a three-day-old baby in my arms, I wasn’t wasting time with testing. My husband and I called the landlord, told him he could keep the security deposit, and we moved in with my father that night.

Of course, a brush with mold doesn’t always trigger such rash action. Once I came out of my post-partum, mama bear phase, I felt a little sheepish about giving up our beautiful little cottage—and our security deposit.

But recent news justified that decision we made, 12 years ago. New data from the Cincinnati Childhood Allergy and Air Pollution Study published in the Annals of Allergy, Asthma & Immunology found that exposure to household mold in infancy greatly increases a child’s risk of developing asthma. Researchers found that children who lived in homes with mold during infancy were three times more likely to develop asthma by age seven than those who weren’t exposed, according to a story in U.S. News and World Report.

In related news, last week’s high mold warning for the Midwest, as reported by UPI, shouldn’t be taken lightly by new and expectant parents, or for parents with children in schools that have been affected by mold. In areas such as Chicago, the mold count is at toxic levels, due to rain and flooding over the summer.

In general, Healthy Child Healthy World’s 5 Easy Steps can be a helpful guide in promoting healthier air quality in your home. You can also purchase a hygrometer, which measures indoor humidity that can lead to mold, at a hardware store.

If you suspect you have mold, both the Environmental Protection Agency and the Centers for Disease Control provide helpful information. The Better Business Bureau recommends controlling mold by fixing plumbing leaks as soon as they appear, venting damp areas such as bathrooms and kitchens, contacting a qualified contractor and wearing gloves—I’ve also read a ventilator mask—when handling it.

Finally, I’m not recommending a full-on move, but if you’re in mama bear mode, you might want to take the opportunity for a short vacation during clean up.

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Posted by Rachel on 08/19/2011 at 11:49 AM

Great article! I think people often downplay the health consequences of being exposed to mold. I had a similar experience but the Landlord decided to treat the mold by cleaning the spot and painting over it. I had a health compromised child so I decided to have the house tested which revealed that a toxic type of mold(stachybotrys) was present in high concentrations in my daughter’s room. The Landlord gave us 7 days to vacate once I revealed the report to them. I hope that our exposure wasn’t great enough to cause asthma in the future. Mama Bear mode is definitely necessary at times.

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