File photo shows teachers working with children at a Montessori school. — AFP photo
KUALA LUMPUR: Setting up a safe and pleasant indoor environment for children is crucial for their optimum development, not just at home, but at childcare centres and schools as well.
Recently, representatives from Malaysian Paediatric Association (MPA), Malaysian Society of Allergy and Immunology (MSAI), Malaysian Registered Childminders Association (Persatuan Pengasuh Berdaftar Malaysia (PPBM), Malaysian Kindergarten Association (Persatuan Tadika Malaysia) (PTM) and organiser Nippon Paint Malaysia Group discussed the matter in a forum.
Key issues pertaining indoor environment for children identified from the dialogue include; indoor air quality, walls as transmitter of diseases and utilising colours in creating a conducive space for children.
The importance of air quality indoor
Infants spend most of their time in the crib, breathing in twice the amount of air indoor as compared to an adult. Thus indoor air quality should not be taken lightly as infants spend up to eight to 20 hours a day indoors. Studies show that air pollution can be twice to five times higher indoor than outdoor. The consequences can be detrimental for health, especially for the sensitive group, namely children, unhealthy persons and elders.
According to World Health Organisations (WHO) exposure to air pollutants causes very significant damage to health globally especially in developing countries. One of the substances identified as common indoor air pollutants by WHO is formaldehyde. The chemical is used in the production of adhesives, bonding agents and solvents. It can be found in a variety of consumer products including pressed-wood products such as plywood, particle board, panelling, as well as foam insulation.
MSAI president Dr Amir Hamzah pointed out that babies and children whose lungs were not fully developed end up exposed to this invisible formaldehyde from household products such as flooring glues.
“It is found in virtually all homes and buildings. New homes are more likely to contain high level of formaldehyde, that can cause symptoms such as teary eyes, coughing and irritation to nose and throat,” he said during the forum, adding that one in five people were extra sensitive to formaldehyde even when is the exposure is low.
Other hazardous pollutants (in high level) typically found indoor are benzene and naphthalene. Benzene can be found in gasoline and other fuels, as well as household product such as glues, paints, furniture wax, detergent, water heaters, boilers, gas stove, ovens and tobacco smoke.
While naphthalene, which is made from crude oil or coal tar, is a by product of the combustion process. It can be found in cigarette smoke and car exhaust, and also used as an insecticide and pest repellent.
Walls and disease
The four walls to keep the children safe might be the same four walls that is causing them to fall sick. Many tend to overlook walls, which are the largest surface indoor as a medium for the transmission of viruses and bacteria possibly spreading diseases such as hand, foot and mouth disease (HFMD), influenza and e-coli infection.
In fact, flu viruses can sometimes survive on indoor surfaces for more than seven days.
PPBM president Norsheila Abdullah explained why clean wall is crucial in a child’s development.
“When babies start to crawl they begin to explore the world, the floor, the wall, and sometimes, especially the daughters, would try to lick the walls.
“It is not the safest thing to do but at the same time we cannot stop them because it is part of their development, they learn from their senses,” she said.
With diseases such as HFMD and H1N1 that are endemic in Malaysia, Norsheila stressed that there is a need to seed out relevant information to educate parents and childcare providers on the importance of indoor environment.
“If the parents do not help the centre by playing their roles, the disease will keep on recurring,” she added.
Among others, Norsheila advised parents to clean up their houses and not to bring their children outside unnecessarily when a disease outbreak such as HFMD takes place.
Colours and children
Colours help in providing an environment that encourage creativity as well as creating a sense of comfort and fun for children. Colour is often associated with a person’s emotions and may also influence a person’s mental or physical state. For example red boosts up energy, yellow promotes happiness, while blue gives a calming effect.
President of PTM Eveleen Ling believes that colour psychology is part of the holistic development envisaged for children.
“Especially those children with learning disorder, some colours might not be suitable for them, such as white. They cannot see all white all the time. Some children when they go inside a building can get agitated, or become restless, all because of the colour of the walls,” she explained. — Bernama