A few days ago we brought to our pages a study that related swimming for babies with the increased risk of lung disease, an issue that attracts a lot of attention, since matronation is becoming more frequent. What does the Spanish Association of Pediatrics say about the risks of chlorination of baby pools?
When I went in search of the answer, to my surprise I found that the authors of the study we mentioned (directed by Dr. Alfred Bernard, professor of toxicology at the Catholic University of Leuven) had already published some similar research previously. The Spanish Association of Pediatrics was positioned in this regard in 2006 after jumping the controversy with this study.
In 2006, the AEP published two reports prepared by Dr. J. Elorz and C. González, of the Infant Pulmonology Unit of the Pediatric Service of the Basurto Hospital. An informative note for pediatricians and the other informative to parents in general, although the summary of both is clear:
As a summary of the scientific review carried out, it can be concluded that the relationship between the increase in the prevalence of asthma and the practice of swimming at a professional level is demonstrated, but currently, 2006 there is no evidence that the risk of asthma increases in children who go to the pools, provided that there are levels of water chlorination within the established limits and that the aeration of the facilities is adequate.
Four years have passed, and so far the AEP has not been repositioned in this regard. But they also pointed out that the methodology used in the study had been strongly criticized by other authors, and that there were studies that related those risks but taking adult professional swimmers as a sample.
Recall that current research, "Child swimming in swimming pools treated with chlorine and the risks of bronchiolitis, asthma and allergy," has evaluated 430 young children.
The conclusions of the study indicated that it is very likely that irritation of the airways that produce chlorine derivatives increases the vulnerability of infants to bronchiolitis. Therefore, the infection and Chronic exposure to chlorine would interact to raise the child's risk of developing asthma and allergies in the future.
According to the AEP report, the risk lies in chlorine disinfectants and their derivatives, which are powerful irritants to the skin and airways. But if the level of chlorine is controlled, the aeration of the enclosure is effective in the case of covered swimming pools, or other methods are used to purify the water, the risk does not exist.
However, these studies are not the only ones that reach similar conclusions. Now we need to know what the professionals of the AEP have to say to these new data.
Meanwhile, the recommendation would be not to give up the benefits of matronation, but in swimming pools specially prepared for babies and children, that meet the normative chlorination levels and that are in a well ventilated area, or choose swimming pools that use other purification and hygiene systems, about which we will talk shortly.
