Wood fires harm the youngest lungs

That picturesque wood-burning stove ranks alongside auto traffic as a risk factor for bronchiolitis, the respiratory condition that is the leading cause of hospitalisation in the first year of life.

Bronchiolitis is a respiratory condition that starts out looking like a common cold but can become quite severe. It can be caused by viruses, and is often the first infection a child experiences early in life. Bronchiolitis is the number one reason why a child ends up in a hospital in the first year of life and is responsible for 13 percent of those hospitalisations.

Researchers in British Columbia studied 11,675 infants having bronchiolitis and 10 control subjects to evaluate the impact of several air pollutants and their sources on infant bronchiolitis. They checked infants' exposure to air pollutants such as nitric oxide, nitrogen dioxide, carbon monoxide and particulate matter and also looked at the source of those pollutants. Exposure to wood smoke, traffic and industrial emissions was also evaluated.

It was found that infants who had more exposure to wood-burning appliances were more likely to show up in doctors' offices or be hospitalised for bronchiolitis. Infants who lived within 50 meters of a highway had a 6 percent increased risk of bronchiolitis, while those with higher exposure to wood smoke had an 8 percent increased risk, compared to those with the lowest exposure.

Wood smoke seems to have the biggest effects on respiratory health, whereas fossil fuels, more laden with metals, seem to have the biggest effects on cardiac health.

The researchers suggested that families should avoid infant exposure to traffic and wood-burning appliances. If they do use wood-burning appliances, they should use safety practices, making sure the appliances are properly vented and burn efficiently.