Media Alert

For Immediate Release
Contact: Tom Capezzuto
(973) 972-7273
E-mail: capezzta@umdnj.edu

Fireplaces, Wood-Burning Stoves May Pose Serious Health Hazards For Children Afflicted With Asthma, Allergies.

As the holidays and colder weather approach, many families will gather around fireplaces and wood-burning stoves to find warmth in the winter months. For many children with asthma and allergies, the use of these heating devices also may trigger a health-related disaster, according to an asthma and allergy expert at the University of Medicine and Dentistry of New Jersey (UMDNJ).

"There are particles and toxic agents emitted by burning wood that, when inhaled, may cause shortness of breath or wheezing and possibly a life-threatening asthma attack that may require emergency health care," said Dr. Leonard Bielory, director of the Asthma and Allergy Research Center at the UMDNJ-New Jersey Medical School in Newark. "Asthmatics and those with severe allergies react differently when exposed to smoke and other environmental pollutants."

Dr. Bielory said that emergency room visits from asthma attacks quadruple following the fall's first frost. It is typically during this same time of year that people begin using their fireplaces and stoves.

If you use a fireplace or wood-burning stove, here are a few suggestions you should follow:

• .Don't allow children with respiratory conditions, such as asthma, to be exposed to a fireplace for very long and make certain there is adequate ventilation to offset any smoke that is emitted.


• .Avoid using a chemical accelerant, like kerosene, to ignite the fire.


• .Have your chimney cleaned annually to help prevent fumes from backing into the house. A good home ventilating system and a properly maintained fireplace or wood-burning stove will minimize the dangers of the pollutants.


• .Be certain the room is aired out and dust and vacuum the area thoroughly after it has been used.


• .Don't use a fireplace or wood-burning stove as the only source of heat.