Study links use of disinfectants during pregnancy to childhood asthma, eczema

Mar 31, 2022

New Delhi, Mar 31 (ANI): A recent study has found that the use of disinfectants by pregnant women may be a risk factor for asthma and eczema in their children. 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 odds of children having asthma or eczema were significantly higher if their mothers used disinfectants one to six times a week compared with the odds in children of mothers who never used disinfectants.