By Julie Shapiro
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
LOWER MANHATTAN — Alexia Almonte was just 1 year old when she inhaled the toxic dust that deluged lower Manhattan on 9/11.
Alexia developed breathing problems in the months that followed, and by 2006 her asthma was so bad that it landed her in the hospital for a week.
But today the 11-year-old Lower East Side resident is doing much better thanks to the treatment she receives at Bellevue Hospital's World Trade Center pediatric clinic, which offers expert assessments and free medications.
"The clinic has been such a lifesaver," said Maria Muentes, Alexia's mother. "Pediatricians don't always understand the context. But at Bellevue, they take the time to talk to you and understand."
To raise awareness about the continuing 9/11 health issues facing children like Alexia, the Bellevue clinic is hosting a community event this Wednesday called "Ten Years After 9/11: A Check-Up For Our Children."
Doctors from the clinic's staff will describe the latest research on the impact of 9/11 on children, and they will be available to answer specific questions.
"Teens and children are particularly vulnerable to disasters, especially environmental catastrophes," said Kimberly Flynn, founder of 9/11 Environmental Action, which is co-sponsoring Wednesday's event. "Children need to be taken care of now and down the line."
Studies have shown that children who were exposed to 9/11 dust were twice as likely to develop asthma in the next two to three years, compared to other children in the northeast. Children who were near Ground Zero also had mental health issues similar to adults, including post-traumatic stress disorder, and one study found higher levels of separation anxiety and agoraphobia, Flynn said.
But these studies are few and far between — most research about 9/11 focuses on adults, not children.
"We have a huge data gap when it comes to understanding the impact of the disaster on children," Flynn said.
Since the Bellevue pediatric clinic opened at the end of 2007, only several dozen children have visited it — nowhere near the estimated 30,000 children who were exposed to 9/11 toxins, Flynn said.
Flynn hopes to draw more families to the Bellevue program, not just so the children get the help they need, but also so the doctors can gather information about which types of treatments are working.
The clinic has a pediatric pulmonologist and a pediatric psychiatrist on staff and offers free treatment to children who were born as late as November 2003, because there is evidence of in-utero impacts from the dust. Once children turn 18, they can enroll in Bellevue's free World Trade Center program for adults.
"Ten Years After 9/11: A Check-Up For Our Children" will be held March 30 from 6:30 p.m. to 8 p.m. at the Downtown Community Center, 120 Warren St. To RSVP, call 212-330-7658.
