Mold is everywhere in the environment. But that does not mean the spores are safe for babies. The immune systems of infants are still, like babies, in their infancy—they’re in the developmental phase. It’s critical to remove household mold as soon as colonies appear.

A type of fungus, mold grows in the great outdoors as well as the cozy indoors. Outside, mold is an essential component for the breakdown of organic materials, like dead leaves. Outdoor mold is necessary, as it helps decompose decaying natural materials.

Airborne spores meander through the air and can enter the home through open windows and doors or through the HVAC system. Mold can also be carried inside by pets and clothing. When the spores land in a hospitable place inside the home, they flourish rapidly.

Hospitable conditions require only three components: moisture, organic materials, and darkness. Moisture from a leaky roof feeds mold spores and creates a major infestation. Potted plants that have excess water in their pots also attract hungry mold spores. Likewise, leaky pipes support mold.

It’s clear that mold can begin to grow inside the home when conditions are ripe. When babies live inside a home where mold grows, it presents a problem. Healthy adults who are exposed to small amounts of mold do not suffer major health consequences. However, babies do.

The reason for the heightened danger from exposure to mold is simply that infants’ immune systems are still developing. Babies can experience allergic reactions, be prone to respiratory problems, start to have gastrointestinal problems or develop neurologic or neuropsychiatry disorders.

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  Mold Allergies

Symptoms of mold allergies in babies are similar to the common colds and include sneezing, runny nose, congestion, and cough. Infants might also experience additional symptoms from mold exposure, such as an itchy throat, a rash, headaches, and chills.

Toddlers who are most at risk for developing mold allergies are those who have a family history. Children who have a health condition that weakens their immune response are also highly likely to develop allergy symptoms upon exposure to mold inside the home.

• Respiratory Ailments

A moldy home is associated with a greater risk of respiratory distress in babies. In homes with high levels of mold, 86 percent of infants have a higher chance of developing respiratory conditions than babies who are not exposed to mold in the first 12 months of life.

Respiratory problems that can emerge include minor ones, like generalized coughing and sneezing, to significantly more serious ones, like bronchitis. Mold exposure is also linked with chronic health problems later in life. Chronic respiratory issues, like asthma, are strongly linked with mold exposure.

Mold is not found to directly cause asthma, since genetics plays a major role. However, mold does have a big impact on the development of the condition. Specifically, three types of molds are linked with the highest risk of developing asthma: Aspergillus ochraceus, Aspergillus unguis, and Penicillium.

• Gastrointestinal Symptoms

Stomach issues are a less frequent symptom of household mold exposure. Babies and toddlers might experience nausea, vomiting, diarrhea, and intestinal cramping. These gastrointestinal issues may occur alongside the more common symptoms of mold exposure, such as sneezing and congestion.

• Neurologic and Neuropsychiatry Disorders

Breathing in moldy air might be linked with neurological disorders—even though the jury is still out on this theory. Symptoms, like depression, brain fog, anxiety, and attention deficits are thought to occur when young children are exposed to mycotoxins, the hazardous chemicals in mold.

A moldy home is dangerous to the health of infants. What is especially critical are the volume of mold spores inside the home and the child’s length of exposure. These two factors are considered more impactful than the type of mold suspected of growing inside the building.

When Should Parents Hire a Professional Mold Remediation Company?

While mold is unhealthy for children to breathe in, the spores can never be fully eradicated from the environment. Mold exposure, at some level, is unavoidable. However, parents are urged to clean up mold when the area of contamination is small or hire a professional if it is extensive.

Parents can start a DIY mold-cleanup job by wearing protective gear and ventilating the area. Diluted bleach or mold removal products are efficient for cleaning up the mold. Dry the area afterward. Most importantly, repair the moisture source so the mold colonies do not return.

A severe mold infestation that exceeds 10 square feet requires professional help. A qualified mold remediation company will share a mold cleanup plan with the homeowner, isolate the affected rooms and clean up the mold. Upon drying the area, the crews repair the moisture source.

Protect the health of your children by calling in the mold cleanup pros as soon as you see mold on a large scale. These dedicated crews arrive promptly to assess the infestation and immediately develop a mold remediation plan. IICRC-certified technicians isolate the mold spores to prevent cross-contamination with other parts of the home. They utilize advanced cleaning products and proven techniques to eliminate all traces of mold. Deodorization services are performed to remove the musty odors caused by mold growth.

Professional mold remediation is recommended because homeowners who attempt to remove mold on their own can inadvertently disperse the spores throughout the home and magnify the mold issue.

If your home or business is infested with mold colonies, mild remediation professionals will eliminate the mold growth and return the building to safe and habitable conditions. Inhaling mold can lead to adverse health consequences for both children and adults.

About Vince Sandri

Vince Sandri is a content writer and blogger with more than 12 years of experience. His expertise is in creating content related to disaster restoration, including information about preventing and reacting to natural disasters like flooding, water damage, fire and smoke damage, mold growth, storm damage and more.
Vince has been the main contributor to RestorationMasterFinder.com since 2014. Over that time, he has written numerous service pages and blogs for disaster restoration providers featured on RestorationMasterFinder.com. Vince has done extensive research and covered a wide range of topics relating to disaster restoration to help homeowners, business owners, and property managers better protect their property. He understands the problems that disasters like flooding, fire, smoke, and mold can cause as well as the best ways to respond to these issues to limit the damage.
Vince completed his Bachelor of Arts degree at Aurora University and his master’s degree at DePaul University. He has been writing SEO website pages, blogs, and press releases since 2012. Vince is also a musician and can be seen playing in the Chicago, IL area.