Is there a light at the end of the tunnel when it comes to the high rates of childhood asthma that have baffled the healthcare community? According to researchers at the Mount Sinai School of Medicine, things might be complicated by climate change.

A study published in the American Journal of Preventive Medicine suggests that, if climate change models hold, childhood asthma-related visits to emergency rooms will witness a 7.3 percent spike in the 2020s.

"Our study shows that these assessment models are an effective way of evaluating the long-term impact of global climate change on a local level," said Perry Sheffield, M.D., who led the research team. "This study is a jumping off point to evaluate other outcomes including cost utilization, doctors' visits, missed school days, and a general understanding of the overall burden of climate change on children with asthma."