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Childhood asthma can lead to school absences for children and time lost from work for parents. Researchers in New Zealand performed a randomized, controlled trial in 349 children aged 6 to 12 years with asthma to assess the effect of nonpolluting, more-effective home heating systems on lung function and respiratory symptoms. In the intervention group, nonpolluting heaters (heat pump, wood pellet burner, or flued gas heater) were installed according to homeowner preferences before the winter of 2006. Control households used their existing, less-effective heating systems (unflued gas heaters and plug-in electric heaters). Houses in both groups were insulated before the study.
At the end of the winter, peak expiratory flow rates and forced expi…