It is interesting to study early childhood development years and the relationship to asthma. According to a study presented by the American Thoracic Society's 99th International Conference in May 2003, exposure to certain types of irritants during the first year of life can actually increase the risk of developing asthma later in childhood. If the child is in a farming environment or exposed to cockroaches, pesticides, wood smoke or herbicides, these all increase the child's possibility of getting asthma. The society came to the conclusion that certain environmental exposures early in life contribute to the development of asthma. If you have children, regardless of whether they have allergies or not, it is a good idea to have some type of air purifier in your home.

A study of more than 700 children showed that half of them had developed asthma by the age of five and the other half did not have asthma by that age. The information was provided by parents on the child's early life and environmental exposures. Interestingly enough, it was found that was in the first year of life, a child was twice as likely to get asthma when exposed to cockroaches as opposed to those who weren't. Also, exposure to herbicidal products in the first year of life was associated with a 4.6-fold increase in asthma, as opposed to those who were exposed to some type of pesticide that resulted in only a 2.4-fold increase.

Wood and oil smoke from heating and farming equipment also increased the risk of asthma, but the risk was strongest when the exposure occurred in the first year of a child's life. If the exposure occurred when the child was older, it was found to not have as large an effect. During the first year of a child's life, its lungs grow rapidly and as the immune system is developing, it becomes sensitized to asthma triggers. The use of an ionic air purifier is always a good idea.