Mother's exposure to some agents 'increases risk of asthma in child'
Monday 26th September 2011
Exposure to certain chemicals when pregnant could increase the risk of asthma for the child, research shows.
A study presented at the European Respiratory Society's Annual Congress in Amsterdam revealed that low molecular weight agents such as synthetic chemicals and natural substances could increase the risk of asthma.
This includes those agents present in vehicle parts, furniture, shoe soles, paints, varnish, glues and wood-derived products.
Overall, 15.8 per cent of the offspring of mothers belonging to a variety of occupational groups, included those exposed to low molecular weight agents.
However, of the children whose mothers were exposed to these chemicals as part of their job, 18.6 per cent had asthma.
Dr Berit Hvass Christensen, from the School of Public Health in Denmark, said: "Whilst a link has been found, our results at this stage are modest and further research is needed into specific chemicals and substances to determine those that could be most harmful."
In other news, mothers who consume a high fat diet before and during pregnancy "program" their children to be overweight, according to a study published in the American Journal of Physiology and Endocrinology Metabolism.
Written by Mathew Horton
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