According To Research, The Use Of Disinfectants During Pregnancy Can Increase The Risk Of Asthma And Eczema In The Fetus

Illustration (Josh Willink/Pexels)

JAKARTA - A study in Japan found that exposure to disinfectants in pregnant women can increase the risk of children developing asthma or eczema at the age of 3 years. While previous studies have linked the effects of using disinfectants with asthma and skin irritation in adults, recent studies have found the impact of using disinfectant sprays on babies.

Launching Insider, Thursday, April 28, researchers found strange things in children when they were three years old. The oddity that occurs is the number of children who suffer from asthma or eczema in mothers who use disinfectants one to six times a week.

Meanwhile, mothers who never used disinfectants at all had a much lower risk.

Nearly 88 percent of mothers reported no exposure to disinfectants during pregnancy and only 1.7 percent reported daily exposure. Around 21 percent work as health workers.

Overall, 7.7 percent reported a diagnosis of asthma and 7.3 percent reported a diagnosis of eczema in their children at age 3 years.

"Our findings suggest that exposure to (disinfectants) during pregnancy exerts an allergic effect on the offspring, and shows the effect of exposure during pregnancy only," said Dr, Reiji Kojima, lead researcher from Yamanashi University.

The use of disinfectants has increased in recent years, especially with the Covid-19 pandemic.

Researchers hypothesize that the disinfectant affects the gut and skin microflora of the mother, as well as the fetus.​