Since infants and young children spend much of their time in the home and the factors that lead to asthma probably act in early life, the home environment is an obvious place to look for such factors. The authors of recent papers from Australia have concentrated on volatile organic compounds (VOCs) and household heaters.

Household sources of VOCs include solvents, floor adhesive, paint, cleaners, furnishings, polishes, and room fresheners. Exposure has previously been related to asthma and asthmatic symptoms. In Perth ( K Rumchev and colleagues Thorax 2004; … OpenUrlAbstract/FREE Full Text