Hurricane Katrina provoked increased complaints to doctors of pneumonia, bronchitis and other lower respiratory illnesses among 144 children studied in Mississippi, according to a report released yesterday by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention.
But the researchers said they could not determine the reason.
They reported finding no difference in the patterns of visits to doctors by children who lived in disaster housing provided by the Federal Emergency Management Agency and those who did not. However, they said the findings could not be generalized beyond the small sample.
The study's limited conclusions did not resolve broader concerns raised by health officials and pediatricians, who previously reported heightened complaints of breathing problems among children on the Gulf Coast after Katrina. Those experts had voiced suspicions about a link to elevated levels of formaldehyde found in FEMA-financed temporary housing. Read More
Respiratory Illness Rose in Children After Katrina Hit
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Respiratory Illness Rose in Children After Katrina Hit
By Spencer S. Hsu
The Washington Post, 5/9/08
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