Researchers: Cockroaches Linked to Kids’ Asthma

Researchers say cockroach infestations may be linked to the high rate of children with asthma in certain New York City neighborhoods.

Researchers at Columbia University’s Mailman School of Public Health published their study in The Journal of Allergy and Clinical Immunology.

They found that homes in neighborhoods where asthma is common have more cockroach, mouse and cat allergens than other neighborhoods. And they found that children in those neighborhoods were more than twice as likely to have blood test results showing they have a sensitivity to cockroach allergen.

Nearly 240 middle-income children participated in the research as part of the New York City Neighborhood Asthma and Allergy Study. About 130 of them have asthma.

Researchers measured allergen exposure by examining dust samples collected from the upper half of children’s beds