Air pollution related to significant increase in child visits to GP

Research has revealed that after a week of heightened air pollution levels, the number of child visits to doctors significantly rises.

It has already been proven that polluted air increases the need for medical treatment for asthma attacks and other respiratory issues.

However, this study is the first to use clinical data to show increased illness among larger groups of people who seek GP consultation.

The research was conducted in south London across half a decade, and analysed over 750,000 respiratory consultations at GP surgeries and inhaler prescriptions. While it was revealed that children were worst affected by increased poor air quality, inhaler prescriptions occurred for all ages.

Overall, the study concluded that air pollution, produced by diesel vehicles in particular, affects entire communities.

The research calls for action to reduce air pollution, suggesting that air quality warnings may help those most a risk to prepare and protect themselves against toxic air.

This news comes after the coroner of Ella Kissi-Debrah, Philip Barlow, has called for UK air quality limits to be lowered in line with the World Health Organisation’s safe limits.

Mark Ashworth, King’s College London, who led the research, commented: ‘It is not just a few severely affected people who are going to be hit by particulates and NO2. It is a large proportion of people who are vulnerable. Therefore, anybody taking asthma inhalers is going to have a degree of vulnerability and needs to be prepared.’