Children living in homes with visible mold or persistent musty odors are hospitalized for asthma at three times the rate of children in unaffected homes, according to a four-year longitudinal study published by National Institutes of Health researchers in March 2026.
The study tracked 2,847 pediatric patients aged 2 to 17 across 12 metropolitan areas. Researchers controlled for socioeconomic status, smoking exposure, and pre-existing respiratory conditions. The three-fold increase in hospitalization rate persisted across all demographic subgroups.
The study also found that children in mold-affected homes were 2.4 times more likely to develop new-onset asthma during the study period compared to children in clean homes, and 1.8 times more likely to require daily controller medication.
Importantly, the study found that children whose families completed professional remediation and relocated during the remediation process showed hospitalization rates that returned to baseline within 18 months — suggesting that the harm is reversible with prompt intervention.
The NIH researchers recommend that pediatricians routinely screen for housing conditions in asthmatic children and refer families to local health departments or remediation resources when mold exposure is suspected.
