buying children's furniture well ahead of time and allowing it to "air" for a few weeks before placing it in the child's room. Logically, this is especially important in the case of furniture made of plastic or compressed wood. This way. you can avoid a situation in which the material releases microscopic particles that may aggravate asthma or other respiratory problems, or even provoke their onset. Best of all, of course, is to buy furniture made of solid wood or other natural materials that do not release any particulate into the air at all.