A young couple asked me to investigate their home because their three year-old son was experiencing asthma symptoms. The parents had been careful to avoid placing rugs and fleecy dolls in the child's room; there was only a crib with a plastic-encased mattress and a new futon that had been purchased just prior to the boy's birth. The mother nursed her infant on the futon and the child played on it. I took a dust sample from the futon and looked at the dust with a microscope; the sample was full of dust mites and mold, both serious asthma triggers. How did these allergens arise in the two year-old mattress? Because the conditions in the child's room were not conducive to such biological growth, I believe that a contaminated futon mattress must have been illegally sold as new.
Another family with an asthmatic young son had taken several measures to reduce allergens in the boy's bedroom. Unfortunately, they did not realize that the feather pillow and quilt on their son's bed were sources of allergenic bioaerosol particulates that included respirable yeast and feather fibers. Another child experienced asthma symptoms for years despite his family's valiant cleaning because the giant panda bear on his bed had always been as cuddly for dust mites as for the boy.
If your family has a history of allergy or asthma problems, it's important to control your building materials, but also remember to minimize the presence of fleecy second-hand or antique furniture and rugs. Be sure to buy new furnishings from reliable sources that have tight controls on their manufacturing materials, and avoid second-hand feather-stuffed items on couches or beds! Place quilts, pillows and children's dolls in the dryer once a week for a hot tumble. And do look a gift-horse in the mouth; if the "gift" looks or smells moldy or promotes sneezing or other symptoms - send it on to other pastures.
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