A final reason to believe a connection between pollution and asthma might exist is that studies with more convincing empirical designs have found consistent effects of pollution on children’s health. Chay and Greenstone (2001) use declines in pollution that resulted from the 1980-82 recession and find a strong link between total suspended particles and infant mortality. Since most infant mortality is due to respiratory failure, it is reasonable to suspect that pollution could be related to other respiratory illnesses, such as asthma. Ransom and Pope (1995) use changes in pollution that resulted from the opening and closing.
