Pregnancy exposure to disinfectants increases the risk of asthma and eczema in children
and quaternary ammonium salts more widely even in the general population.
However, exposure to disinfectants in occupational settings is increasingly being reported as the cause asthma and dermatitis (inflammation of the skin). Therefore, this study aims to discover hazards of disinfectants in the workplace during pregnancy and their association with Allergies in children.
Antiseptics and Pregnancy
The study analyzed 78,915 mother-child pairs participating in the Japan Children and Environment Study from January 2011 to March 2014. The children were assessed for their risk of allergic diseases (asthma) , eczema, and food allergies) at 3 years of age. .
It is seen that Mothers who used disinfectants at least one to six times a week had a higher risk of their children developing asthma or eczema when compared to those who never used disinfectants.
Furthermore, mothers who were exposed to disinfectants daily had a 26% bigger risk of asthma and greater than 29% risk of eczema in their children when compared with those who had never been exposed.
Limit the use of disinfectants during pregnancy
Therefore, prenatal exposure to disinfectants and the likelihood of developing allergic conditions is an exposure-dependent relationship. However, no significant relationship has been established between Food allergy and use disinfectant.
Since the study was observational, its cause was not determined, thus opening the door to multiple causal mechanisms such as:
- Microbial-mediated (intestinal and skin microbiota of the mother and subsequently the child affected by the disinfectant)
- Immune-mediated (prenatal chemical exposure can trigger fetal immune responses)
- Postpartum exposure (baby exposed to disinfectant from mother’s skin)
- Bias (mothers who regularly use medical disinfectants are more likely to be medically knowledgeable and have better access to health care).
However, further research is needed to overcome other limitations of the study such as self-reported disinfectant use history and unknown specificity.
“Our findings indicate that [to disinfectants] during pregnancy had an effect on allergies in offspring regardless of whether the mother returned to work by the time the child was 1 year old, and showed an effect on exposure during pregnancy only,” conclusions of the authors.
Toxic chemicals to avoid during pregnancy
Exposure to other harmful chemicals during pregnancy can increase a child’s risk for a number of disorders and diseases including:
- Mercury from consuming contaminated fish and burning coal.
- Bisphenol-A (BPA) polycarbonate and perfluorochemicals across plastics, food and packaging.
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Exposure to pesticides through food and agricultural use. - Polychlorinated biphenyls (PCBs — banned substances) through certain fish species and waterways.
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Lead contact through house painting, batteries, or soldering. - Exposure to plastics, dyes and detergents can even cause miscarriage.
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Smoke Even old stuff.
Presenter :
- Kojima, R., Shinohara, R., Kushima, M.; Japan Children and Environment Research Group, et al. (In 2022). Prenatal Occupational Disinfectant Exposure and Allergies in Children: The Japan Child and Environmental Study. BMJ Occupation & Environment. – (http://dx.doi.org/10.1136/oemed-2021-108034)
- Sanitize chemical – (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Disinfectant)
- Prenatal exposure to toxic chemicals – (https://www.psr.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/prenatal-exposure-to-chemicals.pdf)
Source: Medindia