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Everyone knows it’s true… but almost everyone’s afraid to say it: Day care institutions don’t care about or love your child like you do.

For years, many experts have been warning us about the detrimental consequences for children placed in day care.

No amount of legislation, government funding, money, early childhood training, regulations, or inspections can make a daycare love your child.

Day Care Centers Breeding Ground for Allergens (2005) (Ivanhoe Newswire) -- New research shows day care centers in the South are a significant source of indoor allergens.

Researchers from the National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences studied 89 day care centers in two counties in North Carolina and found significant allergen levels in all of them. That’s a cause for concern given the number of hours children spend in child care. According to the United States Census Bureau, 63 percent of children under 5 years old spend nearly 40 hours a week in daycare.

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Researchers uncovered detectable levels of seven common allergens from fungus, cats, cockroaches, dogs, dust mites, and mice in each facility tested. Concentrations were the highest for allergens from cats, dogs, and the fungus known as Alternaria.

David A. Schwartz, M.D., director of the NIEHS, says, “Because children spend a significant portion of time in day care settings, it is important that parents understand the risks of allergen exposure and know where these allergens can be found.” Previous studies have shown being exposed to these indoor allergens increases the risk of asthma and other allergic diseases in kids.

One interesting finding, say researchers, is that dog and cat allergens were found in every one of the facilities, but no dog or cat was living in most of them. They say it’s likely that pet allergens are brought in on kids’ clothes.

Researchers also point out that carpet harbors more allergens. They found significant differences between areas that were carpeted as compared to those that were not. Concentrations for five of the allergens were lower on non-carpeted surfaces.

The levels of allergens in the day care centers were similar to levels of allergens found in Southern homes. Samuel Arbes, Ph.D., from the NIEHS and lead author of the study, says, “The similarities in allergen levels between the day care centers and Southern home living rooms means children and the daycare workers may be getting prolonged exposure to allergens. More research needs to be conducted to determine the effects of allergen exposures outside of the home.”

This article was reported by Ivanhoe.com, who offers Medical Alerts by e-mail every day of the week. To subscribe, go to: http://www.ivanhoe.com/newsalert/.