Disinfectant Use During Pregnancy Linked to Asthma and Eczema in Children

[Baby Killing Liberals]

Use of disinfectants by pregnant women may be a risk factor for
asthma and eczema in their children, finds a population study,
published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

Disinfectants are used frequently in hospitals and other medical
facilities, and the covid-19 pandemic has led to an increase in
their use in medical settings and also more widely, including by
the general population.

Exposure to disinfectants in the workplace has been linked to
asthma and dermatitis previously in the workers exposed, but few
studies have looked at the impact of disinfectant use during
pregnancy and the subsequent development of allergic disease in
children.

The authors used data on 78 915 mother-child pairs who
participated in the Japan Environment and Children’s Study to
examine whether mothers’ exposure to disinfectants in the
workplace was associated with increased risk of diagnosis of
allergic diseases in their children when aged 3 years.

The odds of children having asthma or eczema were significantly
higher if their mothers used disinfectant one to six times a
week compared with the odds in children of mothers who never
used disinfectants.

There was an exposure-dependent relationship between prenatal
exposure to disinfectants and the odds of children experiencing
these allergic conditions, with the children of mothers exposed
to disinfectants every day having the highest odds of a
diagnosis – 26% greater for asthma and 29% greater for eczema
than children of mothers who were never exposed to disinfectants.

There were no significant associations between disinfectant use
and food allergies.

This is an observational study, and as such, can’t establish
cause. The authors also noted some limitations, including that
the information on disinfectant use by mothers was self-reported
with specific disinfectants not identified. Diagnoses of
allergic diseases in children were also reported by mothers.

Nevertheless, the authors conclude, “Our findings indicate that
exposure [to disinfectants] during pregnancy exerts an effect on
allergies in offspring regardless of whether the mother returns
to work when the child is 1 year old, and suggest an effect by
exposure during pregnancy alone.”

They add, “Given the current increased use of disinfectants to
prevent new coronavirus infections, it is of great public health
importance to consider whether prenatal disinfectant exposure is
a risk for the development of allergic diseases.”

Several mechanisms that could explain the increased risk of
allergic disease in children following their mothers’ exposure
to disinfectants during pregnancy were suggested by the authors.

They included microbiome-mediated (disinfectants impact the gut
and skin microflora of the mother and subsequently the child),
immune-mediated (exposure to some chemical compounds during
pregnancy impacts the immune response in the fetus), postnatal
exposure (children inhaled or touched molecules of disinfectant
on the skin of their mothers), or bias (mothers who use medical
disinfectants frequently are likely to be more medically
knowledgeable and have better access to healthcare).

Reference: “Prenatal occupational disinfectant exposure and
childhood allergies: the Japan Environment and Children’s study”
by Reiji Kojima, Ryoji Shinohara, Megumi Kushima, Sayaka
Horiuchi, Sanae Otawa, Hiroshi Yokomichi, Yuka Akiyama, Tadao
Ooka, Kunio Miyake and Zentaro Yamagata, 28 March 2022,
Occupational and Environmental Medicine.
DOI: 10.1136/oemed-2021-108034

https://scitechdaily.com/disinfectant-use-during-pregnancy-
linked-to-asthma-and-eczema-in-children/

[Liz Tuddenham]

Baby Killing Liberals <ord...@subway.com> wrote:

> Use of disinfectants by pregnant women may be a risk factor for
> asthma and eczema in their children, finds a population study,
> published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

Did these disinfectants contain perfume? If so, that is far more likely
to be the cause because perfumes are uncontrolled and are known to
contain allergens.

--
~ Liz Tuddenham ~
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