Trends for May 13, 2002

Lisa Ferguson

Monday, May 13, 2002 | 8:28 a.m.

Nothing to sneeze at

There's a whole lot of celebrating going on this month. But before you break out the party hats, know this: The bulk of the festivities are focused on safety issues.

May is National Clean Air Month, and a slew of companies that manufacture air-filtration gizmos are hoping to cash in on the designation.

Count Broan-NuTone among them. Besides hawking its line of Guardian Plus Whole-House HEPA air systems, the Wisconson company is also offering some facts and figures about asthma and the dangers of indoor air pollution:

The air in U.S. homes is two to five times more polluted than the air outdoors this according to the Environmental Protection Agency.

Newer homes that are "tightly" insulated trap pollutants inside, such as the "dangerous gases" emitted by the "volatile organic compounds" found in new furnishings and building products, as well as secondhand smoke, animal dander, mold spores, mildew and insect and dust mite debris.

About 57 million Americans suffer from severe allergies and/or asthma more than ever before. According to figures from the American Lung Association, the incidences of asthma have jumped 61 percent since 1982.

The Allergy and Asthma Network-Mothers of Asthmatics Inc. reports that besides AIDS and tuberculosis, asthma is the only chronic disease with an increasing death rate up 58 percent between 1979 and 1992.

Sit up straight

May has also been designated Correct Posture Month, and the American Chiropractic Association is urging parents to promote spine health in their children.

Make sure a child's bed is firm by shopping for a mattress that offers "selective support," meaning when you press down on one area of the mattress, others areas are unaffected.

The same care should be taken when purchasing Junior's pillow: It should not be so thick that it causes his head and neck to be propped up or sharply angled away from the body.

School backpacks should not weigh more than 5 percent to 10 percent of a child's own body weight, and the straps should be worn over both shoulders.

Don't skimp on the calcium in a youngster's diet, as it's essential for strengthening bones. Also, it's best if children avoid "sugar-loaded, caffeinated and carbonated drinks," which can lead to dehydration and interfere with the absorption of calcium.

That's a shocker

Finally, it is also National Electrical Safety Month, as designated by who else? the National Electrical Safety Foundation.

On its website (nesf.org) the foundation has compiled a list of common-sense tips for safety measures to be taken throughout the home. Among them: