While most women are aware that they need to stay clear of harsh chemicals while pregnant, they overlook just how toxic their everyday cleaning supplies are to their health, their unborn baby and to say the least, so detrimental to the environment. A study in Britain in 2204 showed a link between exposure to household cleaners during pregnancy and asthma in children. Investigators found that those households that used the most chemical-based products during pregnancy were two times more likely to have children with asthma. These findings backed up a similar Australian study that was published in August of 2004.
Recent research has looked at a link between the use of everyday household cleaning products, including aerosols and air fresheners, during pregnancy, and persistent wheezing in pre-school children. The study concluded that pre-school children whose mothers used cleaning products most frequently during pregnancy were found to be more than twice as likely to wheeze persistently throughout early childhood. Additionally, a study of respiratory health showed a clear connection between children's breathing problems and their mothers' heavy use of common cleaning products in pregnancy. Greenpeace found that chemicals found in perfumes and cleaning products can cross the placenta.
The research and clinical trials on the use of household cleaning products and the effect it has on your health and the environment are to numerous to be ignored. The National Institute of Health as a wonderful site where you can just type in a name of a product and read the safety and toxicity information on each product. There link is http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/index.htm and it holds a wealth of information. Furthermore the site will provide information on skin care products. Research in the cosmetics field has also shown that the chemicals used in a lot of skin care products are toxic too.
Chemicals to steer clear of in the home include: triclosan, an anti-bacterial agent found in cleaning products, disinfectant hand wash and toothpaste (which has a possible link with liver damage); alkypheonols, found in detergents (which are linked to sperm damage), and artificial musk found in perfumes (linked to cancer).
You should also avoid Latex paints; used indoors they can also be toxic as they release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air that you breathe. If you've already painted a room, stay out of it as much as you can and keep windows open until the smell fades.
Avoid all pesticides if possible. Additionally, bug sprays that contain DEET have not been properly evaluated for safety during pregnancy and therefore should be used with caution. Instead of applying the bug repellant directly onto your skin where it can be absorbed, apply it to your clothing instead. Use gloves or an applicator so the spray doesn't get on to your hands.
Other products to avoid are: Bleach, Window cleaners, Carpet cleaners, Disinfectants, Dry cleaning fluids, Aerosols, Air Fresheners, and Paint Stripper.
Although there is not much you can do about the toxins in the outdoor environment, you can take steps to rid your home of toxic products. Not only are most common cleaning supplies harmful to your health they are just a detrimental to our environment.
While you should not hide in your home while pregnant, a common sense approach is needed when doing your usual household cleaning. Your skin is the largest organ in your body. It serves a two way function, one is to eliminate toxins through the skin via perspiration and it also absorbs toxins through the hair follicles and sebaceous glands. If you put a chemical on your skin, it will be absorbed into the blood stream.
I was taught that clean has a smell, such as Lysol, bleach or Mr. Clean however, I know better now. The harmful fumes from so many cleaning products linger in the air and can actually cause illness and/or respiratory problems especially in children. In view of the harmful effects of common cleaning products on our health and the environment, it behooves me that these toxic chemical based cleaners still crowd the shelves of supermarkets and drugstores.
Listed below are more articles related to the above article from the "Pregnancy" article category.
People interested in the above article "Effect of Cleaning Supplies During Pregnancy" are also interested in the related articles listed below:
No one enjoys having skin issues. Acne and other skin afflictions can take people by surprise. The normal habit of most people is to see a breakout or some sort of skin rash and go to the pharmacy and search for any given treatment product that promises to cure the problem. Do you have any clue what is in the acne skin product you are slopping all over your skin? Do you just see a label promising to heal acne blemishes and buy the cream with no further investigation?
Being pregnant requires a lot of maturity. There are certain factors that you must consider before you can get pregnant. A few certain questions that you have to answer can also give impact in making you pregnant or not. Are you completely ready to have a baby? Do you know how to take care of a baby? Do you have an idea on what you should do once you bear a child? If the answer is yes to all of these questions, then go ahead and have a baby! These are just some of the questions that you must answer before going into pregnancy. They can give you motivation whether you are really ready to be a mother and take care of a child or not.
Decision-making about having a child is one of the most critical things for childless couples. Every couple yearning to become parent should make an effort to know the things that impact parenthood. Would be parents are naturally excited about enjoying parenthood even though not in a natural way. It is needless to say that surrogacy now is a widely popular and successful measure for those who are wishing to become parents.
Surrogacy is now well accepted by many couples without children. Many who are unable to conceive they are successfully enjoying their parenthood. It might be very surprising that when the concept of surrogacy did not exist for many it was difficult for many who can not have offspring. Because adoption is a complex process and involves many legal and medical aspects, many people started turning towards less complex thing like surrogacy to realize the dream of parenthood. As this process is gaining popularity scores of couples are moving travelling to abroad.
Apparently, surrogacy has become a very popular and successful for those childless couple who are not in a position to conceive. Surprisingly there was a time when there was nothing like surrogacy and it was difficult for many who cannot have progeny. Because adoption is complex procedure and involves many legal and medical aspects, many people turning to less complex options in order to realize the dream of attaining parenthood, and since this process is gaining popularity many couples are choosing abroad, this practice is not only cheaper option besides it has many advantages that many of them are evincing interest in going for abroad surrogacy.
Soon after you get married, the next big expectation for every couple is to have a healthy baby. Yes, every woman dreams to get pregnant naturally, after she is settled in her married life. Getting pregnant is the biggest boon for a woman. It is blessing in disguise for all the lovely ladies who want to nurture their baby in their womb. A woman feels complete when she has an ability to create a new form of life in this world. Thus, getting pregnant is God's gift to every woman and all mankind. You need to be committed to get pregnant naturally.
Miscarriage, also known as spontaneous abortion, may be defined as the unexpected end of pregnancy preceding the viability period (24 weeks). The viability period consists of three trimesters. A pregnant woman is at the risk of miscarriage until the first two trimesters end. During the third trimester, chances of miscarriage are very low. Miscarriage is a common problem faced by one in four women in pregnancy period.
