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Posted on Jun 15, 2008, 8 p.m.
By Jeanelle Topping
Children have an increased chance of experiencing allergy problems if they are exposed to traffic pollution, according to a new study.
Children have an increased chance of experiencing allergy problems if they are exposed to traffic pollution, according to a new study.
Findings were put forward by Joachim Heinrich, an epidemiologist at the Helmholtz Research Centre for Environment and Health in Munich, following a six year investigation into the correlation between allergies and traffic pollution in 3,000 children.
Research revealed that children who lived within 50 meters from a busy road had a 50 percent increased risk of developing allergies such as asthma, hay fever, eczema compared with those who did not live near roads.
"We consistently found strong associations between the distance to the nearest main road and the allergic disease outcomes," said Mr Heinrich.
Previous studies linking pollution to allergies have been inconsistent and this research demonstrates the strongest evidence connecting the two, according to the scientists.
Results from the study have been published in the American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine. 
