Water-Damaged Homes, Heavy Air Pollution Increase Asthma Risk In Kids

MONDAY, Feb. 9, 2026 (HealthDay News) — Children are more likely to develop asthma if they are raised in damp homes or neighborhoods with heavy air pollution, a new study says.

On the other hand, having a dog in the home reduces a child’s risk of asthma, researchers found.

“Our research shows that to truly understand and prevent childhood asthma, we need to look at a child’s full environment — both the air they breathe outside and the conditions inside their home,” said lead researcher Dr. Akihiro Shiroshita, a doctoral student in epidemiology at Vanderbilt University School of Medicine.