Mold exposure may cause symptoms in some individuals or no symptoms in other individuals. If you are concerned about symptoms related to mold in your child, you can speak to your child’s pediatrician. Mold may cause allergy or asthma symptoms in otherwise healthy children. If your child’s pediatrician suspects a mold allergy, they may order allergy testing or refer your child to an allergist (a doctor that specializes in allergies). We do not recommend other types of testing, such as mycotoxin testing. These are not clinically validated. This means these tests have not been studied for use in the clinic. It is challenging to understand what they mean related to a child’s health or symptoms.
Here is more information on the health effects of mold:
- Allergy Symptoms: Children may experience allergy symptoms after exposure to mold. These symptoms include stuffy or runny nose, throat dryness, wheezing, difficulty breathing, or dry cough.
- Asthma: Mold may be an asthma trigger for some children. This means that mold can make pre-existing asthma worse. There is some research that living in moldy environments can make it more likely for a child to get asthma.
- Other Rare Symptoms: Rarely, mold exposure can be associated with other serious conditions. These include hypersensitivity pneumonitis or local/systemic infections. These are not common in individuals who are otherwise healthy. They can happen when people are immune compromised or have underlying lung problems, such as cystic fibrosis.