Lifelines this week looks at the dangers posed by living close to a petrol station and infants in the sun.
• Petrol station dangers: Living close to a commercial garage or petrol station may quadruple the risk of acute childhood leukaemia, suggests new research which looked at 280 children with the condition. Those living in the vicinity of a petrol station or a commercial garage that carried out repairs were four times as likely to develop leukaemia as a child whose home was not close to these outlets. The longer a child had lived close to a petrol station or commercial garage, the higher the risk of leukaemia seemed to be. Occupational exposure to benzene has been previously identified as a possible risk factor for leukaemia in adults, say the authors, adding that further research will be needed to confirm these findings.
• Infants in the sun: Twice as many infants get sun burnt or become tanned during their second summer than during their first summer, according to an American study. Investigators found that 54 per cent of children tanned or burned during their second summer of life, up from 22 per cent during their first summer. Writing in the current issues of Archives of Dermatology, Alan C. Geller suggests the increase in sun damage is probably due to families dropping their guard regarding sun protection. The rate of damage appeared to increase slightly less among children whose mothers received reminders about protection.