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What's NewBeware the Asthma SpikeMuch work is being done to educate North Americans about controlling asthma, and hospital admissions are down. But what remains consistently unimproved is the so-called asthma spike – the day on which many Canadian parents will show up at the hospital with school-age children in the throes of asthma attacks. Using data accumulated since 1990, scientists in Hamilton, Ontario and London, England have been able to plot the spike on a graph at precisely 17 1/2 days after Labour Day. “If you look at the magnitude of the peak relative to the rest of the year, by 2004 it’s pretty much the same as it was in 1990,” says epidemiologist Neil Johnston, who along with colleagues at St. Joseph’s Healthcare, McMaster University, and Imperial College, has led this research. The spread of the cold virus is the biggest driver of the spike in students between the ages of 5 and 15, but a number of factors contribute to it. “Kids get back to school and the guy in the next desk or the child they share a school bus ride with has a cold, and maybe they share a drink,” Johnston says. “But it’s also a period when aero-allergens are at very high levels – ragweed and house dust mite. Then you’ve got the stress of the return to school, allergens in the classroom, and the likelihood that asthma is not as well controlled because kids have been well and their parents haven’t been giving them their [controller] drugs. “You’ve got a multiple whammy, and that’s what drives the peak.” There are two other related asthma “peaks”: one in pre-school children, who appear to catch whatever cold brother or sister brings home, since their spike is plotted at 19 to 20 days after Labour Day. For those 16 to 49 with asthma, their peak shows up one week after the big post-Labour Day surge among schoolchildren. So how do you keep a child from becoming a statistic on Johnston’s graph? He says it begins with aware- ness and control and making sure asthma medications are up-to-date. Experts remind that your child’s school needs to have a copy of your child’s asthma action plan. If either the plan or the drugs need changes, see a doctor or respirologist promptly. Experts also advise frequent hand-washing to stem the spread of infection. With students trooping in and out, spills and occasionally odours, classrooms are difficult venues to allergy-proof. But there are ways to reduce environmental exposures. Chalk and Markers: Use low-dusting chalk on blackboards. If using a whiteboard, a school can order low VOC (volatile organic compound) markers. Sidebar Sources: Health Canada; Environmental Protection Agency; The Lung Association of Canada First published in Allergic Living magazine, Fall 2007 (c) Copyright AGW Publishing Inc. 2005-136 High lead levels in children's necklaces and zipper pullsOTTAWA - Health Canada is advising the Canadian public that children's metal necklaces and zipper pulls manufactured by Stravina Operating Company of California have been recalled. The items, sold between March 2002 and September 2005, pose a risk of lead poisoning to children if mouthed or swallowed and should be removed from children's reach. Stravina Operating Company is recalling about six million items, which are manufactured in China. Approximately 781,000 of the recalled items were sold in Canada at discount, toy, party, grocery and drug stores for between $2 and $5. These items are no longer being sold in Canada. The recalled necklaces are silver-coloured with individual names painted in a variety of colours. The nameplate on the necklace hangs from a 40 cm black cord. The necklace packages are marked "Personalized Necklace" and "Stravina." UPC Code 0-35203-00039-7 is on the necklace package. The recalled zipper pulls are also silver-coloured with individual names and come in various colours. The zipper pull hangs from a silver-coloured metal clip designed to attach to a backpack, keyring, or clothing zipper. The words "Personalized Zipper Pull," "Great for Backpacks and Keyrings too" and "Stravina" are printed on the packaging, as is the UPC Code 0-35203-00038. Due to various substances used to create different colours of enamels, some items are affected by this recall, while others are not. Pictures of the items and specific descriptions of the affected items can be found at the bottom of this advisory. The items affected by this recall can be disposed of in regular household waste, or consumers may contact Stravina at 1-800-964-0029 for a free replacement product. There is no lead exposure risk associated with normal use of these items; however, children sometimes mouth objects of this nature and contact with saliva can cause lead to leach from the jewellery into a child's body. To date, Health Canada has not received any reports of incidents or injuries from use of the products. For more information regarding the risks of lead exposure, visit: Description of Recalled Necklaces
Description of Recalled Zipper Pulls
For further information, consumers can contact the Health Canada Product Safety office nearest them, by calling 1-866-662-0666 toll-free, or e-mail cps-spc@hc-sc.gc.ca (if contacting via e-mail, please indicate the province or territory from which you are corresponding). Pesticide Exposure Causes Illnesses in Schools
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