Household Cleaning Products Linked To Childhood Asthma
Since we seem to be on a cleaning with chemicals sucks kick today, let’s just continue with it.
European Respiratory Journal recently published a study that notes that expectant mamas who use “A lot of household cleaning products” may be increasing the risks of their child developing asthma as a youngster. “A lot” is a vauge number agreement, that I’ll admit to. But it doesn’t decrease the problem.
The Daily Mail reported on the study:
Tags: asthma cause, bleach and air freshener, Childhood Asthma, European Respiratory Journal, Household Cleaning Products“Researchers found a link between high exposure to everyday products such as bleach and air freshener in women during pregnancy, or shortly after birth, and wheezing and asthma in their young children.
Children exposed to these products had up to a 41 per cent increase in the risk of persistent wheezing by the age of seven, and had slightly lower than normal lung function.
Experts behind the study, which looked at more than 7,000 families and is published in the European Respiratory Journal, are uncertain about which chemicals are to blame, although previous research suggests fumes called volatile organic compounds, or VOCs, could be responsible.”
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POSTED IN: Green Cleaning, Health & Wellness, Toxic Stuff
3 opinions for Household Cleaning Products Linked To Childhood Asthma
Rebecca
Mar 25, 2008 at 8:47 pm
I have thought of myself as “green” for quite a while now, yet I have only recently begun converting to eco-friendly products. It’s difficult to make the switch when you go your whole life believing chemicals = wonderful germ killers. It’s even more difficult when mainstream products put “eco” in their names, as you discuss in the Palmolive article.
Once again we seem to be writing about similar topics . . . over at http://greenbabyguide.com, we’re asking readers to post their “toxic confessions.” Many of us still have a lot of toxic junk under our sinks. We’re giving away some nice, eco-friendly alternatives to our confessors!
Jennifer
Mar 25, 2008 at 9:28 pm
It is hard to switch when you’re brought up this way. Bleach commercials are really convincing. Lysol commercials are worse. They make it seem like your family might die if you don’t buy Lysol - well, not that bad, but it’s pretty bad.
Peggy
Mar 25, 2008 at 11:29 pm
Rebecca,
Nice to see you again. I think that cleaners are one of the most difficult switches to make. Going with companies that disclose their ingredients is always wise. And learning to read cleaning product labels the same way you read food labels is also a very good step to take. I have to remind myself to do that.
Jennifer, thanks for posting the article. I’m becoming more and more convinced that artificial fragrances really are of the devil. And so many products now are scented. It’s crazy. I’m going on a scent strike. And I won’t even start talking about chlorine bleach again. : )
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