What in My House Is Making My Son Sick?

J.,
This is a tough one. There is so much in a newly renovated home that is rich with toxins it might be hard to narrow down. Is is bed new too? VOC's are compounds found in paint and other building materials that emit through the air and are unhealthy. It could be this, or the fumes from the glue, new carpet, etc. I would try to keep the windows open as much as possible ( i know its cold) to air it out (even his mattress where he sleeps, if its new should be aired out) He is probably affected more than you because of his age and growing immune system. Good luck,
L.

First off he is not sick but getting rid of something toxic too him one of the quickest ways...puking. The good news is that his body is responding well to a toxin. The question is what? the paints have VOC's. id you put wall to wall carpet in? Did you buy a new mattress or comforter and sheet set?
Do you know how to do or use muscle testing? If you do you can have someone hold your son and then put out their arm get a strong muscle on them, then have your son touch things in the house. keep re-testing the muscle. Go through the house if the strong muscle goes weak after touching the painted wall or the paint can, or the carpet, etc. then that is what is toxic for him. New mattresses, particle board furniture, carpet, paints and pollyurethane all off gas. the paints and varnishes will diminish in intensity quicker then the particle board, mattress and carpet which off gas toxic gases indefinitely.

J.,

Is he having a hard time adjusting to the new house over what he is used too. You could try an air purifier for a while.

I would widen my search for what is making him sick. It very well may be something in the house. But the fact that he has slept there & been okay makes me suspect that it may not be the only culprit. The night you stayed there & he was okay - was he nauseous? Or was he completely fine? There could be other causes - don't just assume it's the house or you may miss something important. I would talk to your pediatrician - make sure you give him all the details. Hopefully together you can track down the problem. Good luck!

Toxins in some construction materials can be quite toxic. One not mentioned yet is vinyl (flooring/ walls). Also, formaldehyde is in some wood products. Glad to hear you are cleaning your ductwork, as all sorts of things can be in there causing the problem...especially after some remodelling. That is where I would start. If things do not improve quickly after the ducts a re cleaned, it's possible some the of the construction materials (or furniture) are offgassing. Here is a list of things you should be suspicious of:

Paints, Human by-products, Cleaning Products, Glues and Sealants, Carpets, Dust Mites, Combustion by-products, Radon, Smoke, Solvents, Moisture, Pollen, Lead, Mold and Mildew, Bacteria and Viruses, Fiberglass, Pesticides, Pets,
Attached Garages (carbon monoxide), Furniture, Printers/ copiers

Top Offenders – and how to avoid them
The Problem:/ The Solution:
--Urea formaldehyde sheet goods/ Use only sheet goods (plywood/ particleboard) that are labeled as No Added Formaldehyde (NAF)
--High VOC carpets and carpet backing/ Use Carpet and Carpet Backing certified by the CRI’s “Green Label” program
--Improper material handling and protection/ Keep building materials dry
--Subfloor Adhesive, Tile and carpeting Adhesives and Mastics/ Use Adhesives and Mastics that have third party certification such as GreenGuard and GreenSeal
--Vinyl wall and floor coverings /Avoid using Vinyl wall and floor coverings
--High VOC Floor Finishes (such as Glitza)/Use Pre-finished products, Oil and Wax Finish, or Water Based Polyurethane
--Regular paints and stains / Specify low or No VOC products

Hi there J.,
I am so sorry to hear that! It would be my guess that it was due to all of the chemicals found in everything from paint to maybe the bleach you used to clean the bathroom after the remodel. My children are sensitive to that too. I recently joined a great group of online moms that have products that help to educate other families on the dangerous chemicals found in common household products. I have learned a lot and am so excited to share this wonderful information!! If this interests you, visit my website at www.1luckymom.com You are so right to be concerned about your son and the rest of your family as well. Even though you may not feel the effects of it right now, keep in mind that even a headache is a sign of your body rejecting the chemicals that you are inhaling. Good luck to you J. and will I pray for your little one! Poor little fella!
H. Snoke

Hi J.,
It might not be anything in the house. It may be the stress of all the recent changes in his life. Moving is stressful for adults but it is for kids too. As he's four you could ask him how he feels about all these changes. It maybe he's concerned about leaving a friend behind or just feeling insecure. All kids handle stress differently.
Just something to think about. Good Luck

I'm guessing his little nasal passages aren't as clogged w/daily life funk as your grownup ones are. That's why you don't notice it. I know it's cold, but open the windows, crank the heat to keep the pipes from cracking, turn on whatever fans you have. Obviously something is bothering him badly.

How old is the furnace? Do you have CO2 detectors? I also have rental properties, which I recently had to install new furnaces because my renters were sick because of Co2.

He could just be oversensitive to the chemicals that go along with renovating. He also could be having problems with just switching around his schedule (I have one like this). Another thing to look into is esbestos (sp?) which is very typical in old Denver Homes. I am not sure it makes people puke but I do know it is very dangerous and hard to remove from a house, even long after a remodel.

Good luck.

This is a tough one being that it could be coincidence, psychological, or toxin related. Carpet, drywall, paint, cabinets all contain toxins unless you purchased green products. Also granite contains small amounts of radon and glue contains formaldehyde. But these toxins usually cause asthma/cold like symptoms such as difficulty breathing, sneezing, coughing and skin rashes none of which you mentioned. As a precaution make sure his bed/bedding is clean and then I would maybe talk to him about moving. Kids can be very sensitive to change. I would also see if you can remember what he had eaten and maybe that's an issue as well...Good Luck this isn't easy to determine.