New parents who clean their homes very often to protect their babies from bacteria and other organisms might want to cut back their efforts.
初为父母的人会经常打扫房屋，以保护孩子免受可能想破坏他们努力的细菌和其他有机体的侵害。
A new study suggests that high levels of contact with cleaning productsare linked to an increased risk of the childhood breathing condition known as asthma.
一项新的研究表明，大量接触清洁产品会增加儿童患哮喘的风险。
Researchers asked a group of parents how often they used 26 common household cleaners during their babies first three to four months of life.By age three, the children who had come in contact with cleaning products the most were more likely to be diagnosed with asthma.The researchers said that children who had a lot of contact with cleaners were 37 percent more likely to have asthma than children with the least contact.
研究人员询问了一些父母在孩子出生后的三到四个月里使用26种常见家用清洁剂的频率。到三岁时，接触清洁产品最多的儿童更可能患上哮喘。研究人员说，多次接触清洁剂的儿童比接触最少的儿童患哮喘的可能性高37%。
The study also found that a lot of exposure to cleaning products caused children to be 35 percent more likely to have chronic difficulty breathing.In addition, they were 49 percent more likely to have chronic allergies.
研究还发现，大量接触清洁产品会使儿童患慢性呼吸困难的可能性增加35%。此外，他们患慢性过敏的可能性也增加了49%。
Tim Takaro, who helped lead the study, is a doctor with Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada.He told the Reuters news service he understands that parents want to make their homes safe for their children.But he suggests that they should question the belief that their home is clean only if it smells like chemical-based cleaning products.
蒂姆·塔卡罗是加拿大温哥华西蒙弗雷泽大学的博士，他协助领导了这项研究。他对路透社表示，他理解父母们希望为孩子们营造一个安全的家。但他建议，父母应该质疑这种信念，即只有当他们的家闻起来像化学清洁产品时，他们的家才是干净的。
"Instead, we propose that the smell of a healthy home is no smell at all," said Takaro.
塔卡罗说:“相反，我们认为,健康家庭的气味应该是根本没有气味。”
Takaro said parents should read labels and look for products that are free of substances like chemical colors and smells.Also, they should consider natural cleaning products instead of chemical ones.
塔卡罗表示，家长们应该阅读标签，寻找不含化学色素和化学气味等物质的产品。此外，他们还应该考虑天然清洁产品来代替化学清洁产品。
The study appeared in the medical publication CMAJ earlier this month.The researchers wrote that the first months of life are very important for development of the bodys natural defenses,known as the immune system.The same is true for the organs involved in breathing.
这项研究发表在本月早些时候出版的医学刊物《加拿大医学协会杂志》上。研究人员写道，婴儿出生后的头几个月对身体的自然防御系统，即免疫系统的发育非常重要。呼吸器官也是如此。
Chemicals in cleaning products can cause chronic inflammation that may lead to asthma.It also may make symptoms appear more often and intensely, the researchers noted.
清洁产品中的化学物质会触发慢性炎症，从而导致哮喘。研究人员指出，这些化学物质还可能使症状出现得更加频繁和强烈。
Asthma can be difficult to diagnose with breathing tests involving young children.So researchers also tested the childrens skin for allergies and asked parents how often children experienced symptoms like trouble breathing.
幼儿哮喘难以用呼吸测试来诊断。因此，研究人员还测试了孩子的皮肤是否过敏，并询问家长孩子出现呼吸困难等症状的频率。
The most commonly used cleaning products in the study were dishwashing soap, multipurpose cleaners,glass cleaners and soap for washing clothes.
研究中最常用的清洁产品是洗碗皂、多用途清洁剂、玻璃清洁剂和洗衣皂。
The American Lung Association recommends avoiding cleaning products that contain volatile organic substances and other irritants.But companies in Canada and the United States are not required to list all the chemicals in cleaning products.Some products labeled as environmentally friendly, or "green," may contain harmful substances.
美国肺脏协会建议避免使用含有挥发性有机物质和其他刺激物质的清洁产品。但是加拿大和美国的公司不需要列出清洁产品中所含的所有化学物质。有些贴上环保或“绿色”标签的产品可能含有有害物质。
Elissa Abrams, who wrote comments on the study, is a doctor with the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada.She admitted that the effects of cleaning products are not well understood.But she believes these products and the chemicals they contain act as irritants to growing children.
艾莉莎·艾布拉姆斯是加拿大温尼伯马尼托巴大学的博士，她对这项研究发表了评论。她承认人们还没有充分了解清洁产品的影响。但她认为，这些产品及其所含的化学物质会刺激正在成长发育中的儿童。
Young children who spend a lot of time indoors may be at greater risk, said Abrams.
艾布拉姆斯说，长时间呆在室内的儿童可能面临更大的风险。
"The take-home message is that parents should be careful which cleaning products they use in the home," she added.
她补充说：“关键是，父母应该小心他们在家里使用的清洁产品。”
Im Pete Musto.
皮特·穆斯托报道。
New parents who clean their homes very often to protect their babies from bacteria and other organisms might want to cut back their efforts.
A new study suggests that high levels of contact with cleaning products are linked to an increased risk of the childhood breathing condition known as asthma.
Researchers asked a group of parents how often they used 26 common household cleaners during their babies' first three to four months of life. By age three, the children who had come in contact with cleaning products the most were more likely to be diagnosed with asthma. The researchers said that children who had a lot of contact with cleaners were 37 percent more likely to have asthma than children with the least contact.
The study also found that a lot of exposure to cleaning products caused children to be 35 percent more likely to have chronic difficulty breathing. In addition, they were 49 percent more likely to have chronic allergies.
Tim Takaro, who helped lead the study, is a doctor with Simon Fraser University in Vancouver, Canada. He told the Reuters news service he understands that parents want to make their homes safe for their children. But he suggests that they should question the belief that their home is clean only if it smells like chemical-based cleaning products.
"Instead, we propose that the smell of a healthy home is no smell at all," said Takaro.
Takaro said parents should read labels and look for products that are free of substances like chemical colors and smells. Also, they should consider natural cleaning products instead of chemical ones.
The study appeared in the medical publication CMAJ earlier this month. The researchers wrote that the first months of life are very important for development of the body's natural defenses, known as the immune system. The same is true for the organs involved in breathing.
Chemicals in cleaning products can cause chronic inflammation that may lead to asthma. It also may make symptoms appear more often and intensely, the researchers noted.
Asthma can be difficult to diagnose with breathing tests involving young children. So researchers also tested the children's skin for allergies and asked parents how often children experienced symptoms like trouble breathing.
The most commonly used cleaning products in the study were dishwashing soap, multipurpose cleaners, glass cleaners and soap for washing clothes.
The American Lung Association recommends avoiding cleaning products that contain volatile organic substances and other irritants. But companies in Canada and the United States are not required to list all the chemicals in cleaning products. Some products labeled as environmentally friendly, or "green," may contain harmful substances.
Elissa Abrams, who wrote comments on the study, is a doctor with the University of Manitoba in Winnipeg, Canada. She admitted that the effects of cleaning products are not well understood. But she believes these products and the chemicals they contain act as irritants to growing children.
Young children who spend a lot of time indoors may be at greater risk, said Abrams.
"The take-home message is that parents should be careful which cleaning products they use in the home," she added.
I'm Pete Musto.
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Words in This Story
diagnose(d) - v. to recognize a disease or illness in someone
exposure - n. the fact or condition of being affected by something or experiencing something
chronic - adj. continuing or happening again and again for a long time
allergies - n. a kind of medical condition that causes someone to become sick after eating, touching, or breathing something that is harmless to most people
label(s) - n. a piece of paper, cloth, or similar material that is connected to something to identify or describe it
inflammation - n. a condition in which a part of your body becomes red, swollen, and painful
symptom(s) - n. a change in the body or mind which indicates that a disease is present
multipurpose - adj. having more than one use or purpose
volatile - adj. likely to become dangerous or out of control
irritant - n. something that makes part of your body sore and painful
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