ASTHMA LINKED TO FREEWAYS STUDY LINKS AILMENT TO ROADWAY PROXIMITY.Byline: ALEX DOBUZINSKIS Staff Writer When she lived in Northridge, 9-year-old Kristal Ologitere remembers ash falling from the sky during a nearby wildfire. She had stage 1 asthma then, a mild version of the respiratory disease Noun 1. respiratory disease - a disease affecting the respiratory system respiratory disorder, respiratory illness adult respiratory distress syndrome, ARDS, wet lung, white lung - acute lung injury characterized by coughing and rales; inflammation of the , and she thought the air in Northridge was bad. But then her family moved to Canyon Country, near the Antelope Valley Freeway The Antelope Valley Freeway is a freeway in Los Angeles and Kern counties in southern California. It is signed as California State Highway 14 along its length. It connects Greater Los Angeles to the rapidly developing Antelope Valley. , and her asthma progressed to stage 2 -- mild and persistent. ``Sometimes it hurts, then other times it's just hard to breathe,'' Kristal said. Kristal's experience may be reflected in a new USC An abbreviation for U.S. Code. Keck School of Medicine study that found children living near major highways are more likely to develop asthma or other respiratory diseases. Children's lung development may also be stunted, according to according to prep. 1. As stated or indicated by; on the authority of: according to historians. 2. In keeping with: according to instructions. 3. the study, which is due to be published in the Feb. 17 issue of British medical journal The British Medical Journal, or BMJ, is one of the most popular and widely-read peer-reviewed general medical journals in the world.[2] It is published by the BMJ Publishing Group Ltd (owned by the British Medical Association), whose other The Lancet. The University of Southern California The U.S. News & World Report ranked USC 27th among all universities in the United States in its 2008 ranking of "America's Best Colleges", also designating it as one of the "most selective universities" for admitting 8,634 of the almost 34,000 who applied for freshman admission study could be significant for Santa Clarita Santa Clarita, city (1990 pop. 110,642), Los Angeles co., S Calif., suburb 30 mi (48 km) NW of downtown Los Angeles, on the Santa Clara River; inc. 1987. Situated in the Santa Clara valley and nearby canyons, Santa Clarita includes the former towns of Canyon Country, , which like many Southern California Southern California, also colloquially known as SoCal, is the southern portion of the U.S. state of California. Centered on the cities of Los Angeles and San Diego, Southern California is home to nearly 24 million people and is the nation's second most populated region, communities has homes very near the freeways. The study found that children living within a third of a mile of a freeway since age 10 had major deficits in lung function by age 18 compared to children living one mile away. Urban areas studied by researchers included Anaheim, Glendora, Long Beach, Mira Loma, Santa Maria and Upland. The report drew on data from the Children's Health Children's Health Definition Children's health encompasses the physical, mental, emotional, and social well-being of children from infancy through adolescence. Study and involved 3,600 children. Kristal's family moved to Jakes Way in Canyon Country within a mile of the 14 Freeway in February. By June, Kristal's asthma had worsened, said her mother, Elaine Dennis. Dennis said her daughter was having so much trouble breathing that she called her doctor's cell phone and took Kristal to the hospital. Now, Kristal has an inhaler inhaler /in·hal·er/ (in-hal´er) 1. an apparatus for administering vapor or volatilized medications by inhalation. 2. ventilator (2). in·hal·er n. , something she didn't need when her asthma was milder. After six months of almost daily problems -- the sneezing To verbally tell somebody about a new and interesting Web site. See viral marketing. that leads to coughing and then to stress in her chest -- Kristal's condition is under control, her mother said. ``I'm not peeking in in the middle of the night, so I think she's OK,'' said Dennis, 31. The study's lead author suggests community leaders, school districts and developers consider the report's findings when developing new schools or homes. But with the high cost of housing -- and so many dangers and health hazards around -- not everyone considers proximity to a freeway when choosing a home. Bobby Harris, 44, and his family are in the market for a new home and were looking at one Saturday on Wren Drive near the 14 Freeway. ``Being close to a freeway is important based on the fact that it helps you get to work quicker,'' he said. Harris -- who has three children ages 2, 8, and 12 -- said he would be more worried for the health of his family if the home were near power transmission lines. He knows about those potential dangers since he works for a utility. But for Dennis, the coincidence is too much -- and Kristal's health is too important. She said her family plans to move somewhere with better air. Castaic is a possibility, she said. ``A little water, a little more green trees,'' Dennis said. ``A river,'' a smiling Kristal added. alex.dobuzinskis@dailynews.com (661) 257-5253 CAPTION(S): 3 photos Photo: (1 --2 -- color) At top, Kristal Ologitere, 9, holds her inhaler near her home in Canyon Country on Saturday morning. Kristal's mother suspects her asthma has worsened after moving into their home near the Antelope Valley Freeway. Above, traffic on the freeway flows past homes. (3 -- color) Traffic on the Antelope Valley Freeway travels past homes Saturday in Canyon Country. Alex Collins/Special to the Daily News |
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