Pregnant women exposed to disinfectants more likely to have children with asthma, eczema: study
CTV
Children whose mothers regularly used disinfectants during pregnancy at their workplace are nearly 30 per cent more likely to suffer from asthma and eczema, new research from Japan suggests.
The use of bleach and hand sanitizer has increased in recent years, both in medical settings and by the general public, in response to the COVID-19 pandemic.
Previous research has linked exposure to the chemicals to asthma and dermatitis in workers, but few studies have explored the effects of disinfectant use during pregnancy and the development of disease in children.
Researchers from Yamanashi University in Japan examined data from nearly 80,000 pairs of mothers and children who were recruited into a Japanese children's health study between 2011 and 2014.
They assessed whether pregnant mothers’ exposure to disinfectants in the workplace was associated with increased risk of allergic diseases in their children by age three.
