Prenatal Occupational Disinfectant Use Tied to Child Allergies

TUESDAY, March 29, 2022 (HealthDay News) — Occupational disinfectant use by pregnant women is associated with increased risks for asthma and eczema in their offspring, according to a study published online March 28 in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

Reiji Kojima, M.D., Ph.D., from the University of Yamanashi in Chuo, Japan, and colleagues used data from 78,915 mother/child pairs recruited between January 2011 and March 2014 to examine whether occupational disinfectant use during pregnancy was associated with the development of allergic disease in offspring at 3 years.

The researchers found that participants who used disinfectant every day had a significantly higher risk for asthma in their offspring compared with those who never used disinfectants (adjusted odds ratios, 1.18 and 1.26 for one to six times per week and for every day, respectively). Similar associations were seen for disinfectant exposure with eczema risk (adjusted odds ratios, 1.16 and 1.29 for one to six times per week and for every day, respectively). A significant exposure-dependent relationship was seen. No significant associations were seen between disinfectant use and food allergies.

“As disinfectants are an effective tool in the prevention of infectious diseases, further research into the underlying mechanisms is warranted,” the authors write.

Abstract/Full Text