Environmental Illness in Children Children are more likely than
adults to get an environmental illness, because they are still
developing. Also, some ways that children behave, such as
crawling and putting things in their mouths, can expose them to
dangerous substances. Children in urban areas are most affected
by environmental illnesses. The prevalence and number of deaths
from asthma is highest among poor urban children. Because of
their exposure to pollutants, allergens, cigarette smoke,
pesticides, lead, and toxins in our environment, research shows
that children may be increasingly affected by: - Asthma. In the
past 15 years, the number of children with asthma has more than
doubled. Now, more than 7 million children younger than 18 have
this disease.1 Each year asthma accounts for about 14 million
missed school days.2 - Childhood cancer. From 1975 to 1990, the
number of children with cancer increased, but the childhood
cancer rate has stayed the same since 1990. Leukemias and
central nervous system tumor