The number of children with asthma has doubled in the past 10 years. Allergies and asthma are health problems that may be caused or made worse by things in the air you breathe. Since you and your children spend a lot of time at home, the air inside needs to be clean. These may cause, or add to, breathing problems. Too much dampness can cause mold to grow.
Some mold is very harmful and some can make allergies or asthma worse.
Stoves and heaters may produce harmful gases in your home if they are not used properly. It is important to let fresh air in and bad air out. Until recently paint and water pipes often had a metal in them called lead. Lead was also in gasoline and got into the air and soil from car exhaust. It's not used in these ways any more, but there is still plenty of lead around.