How Do I Keep Someone Toxic Away From My Unborn Baby

Pregnancy and Housework: Could You Be Putting Your Baby at Risk?

When you are pregnant, y'all do everything possible to protect your baby's wellness. Yous try to rest, do, eat healthfully, and avoid alcohol. Some experts are saying that you lot should besides avert overexposure to some mutual household chemicals. What are these chemicals and how can you lot protect your baby from being exposed to them?

Toxic Substances

Some of the chemicals y'all come up in contact with may be toxic, especially to your unborn infant. Chemicals and substances that tin can cause birth defects are called teratogens. Most pregnant women know about some teratogens, including illicit drugs, alcohol, cigarettes, and some prescription drugs. What they may non know, notwithstanding, is that common items around the house—including paint, pigment removers, bleach, lye, cat boxes, and oven cleaners—can be unsafe to an unborn baby. Organizations such as the March of Dimes recommend that pregnant women avoid excessive exposure to these substances.

It'south important that pregnant women avoid straight and prolonged exposure to potentially toxic substances. If y'all are pregnant and you live or work around toxic chemicals, talk with your dr. about what you should exercise to protect yourself and your baby. But if you come into contact with toxic substances when you are working effectually the firm, in that location are a few precautionary measures y'all can take to reduce the risk that your baby volition be harmed.

Firm Cleaning

Bleach, oven cleaners, and other cleaning agents can harm an unborn baby. Y'all should limit your use of these chemicals and take protective measures when you employ them.

Until your infant is born, you might want to consider having someone else takeover any house cleaning that requires toxic substances. This manner, the chances of harming your babe will be reduced. If you do apply chemic cleaning agents, wear rubber gloves and open the windows to ventilate the room. But if y'all've done a footling house cleaning since you've become pregnant, don't worry. It is unlikely that occasional and indirect exposure to these chemicals will damage your babe.

Painting and Other Home Improvement Projects

Planning on renovating the new nursery? It's all-time to accept a family fellow member or professional have care of home improvement projects while you are pregnant. Most paints and sealants give off toxic fumes that may be dangerous to your unborn baby. The sanding or scraping of walls may as well release toxic particles into the air you breathe.

If you are renovating a pre-1970 home, information technology'south possible that atomic number 82 could exist released into the air. Lead poisoning can crusade severe developmental issues in unborn babies. An ecology home assessor can determine the amount of lead that is in your home and advise you nigh when and how to safely perform renovations.

If a room in your house is beingness painted or renovated, here are some things y'all tin can do to protect your unborn baby:

• Select a water-based latex paint that is designed for indoor use that doesn't contain lead or mercury.
• Schedule painting or renovation for a time when yous will non be around—when you are at work, on vacation, or running errands.
• Open windows and use frazzle fans to ventilate the house while the painting or renovation is taking place.
• Cover air conditioning and heating return openings to prevent the fumes from circulating to other areas of your firm.
• Shop unused paint or chemicals in storage areas that have frazzle ventilation. Do not store them most heating, ventilation, or air-conditioning equipment.

Gardening, Raw Meat, and Cats

Millions of Americans acquit a parasite in their blood chosen Toxoplasma gondii , which causes an infection called toxoplasmosis. Most people don't have symptoms of this infection because their immune systems protect them from getting ill. Yet, pregnant women have to be more cautious because the parasite tin can seriously harm an unborn baby, causing symptoms such every bit incomprehension and intellectual disability.

People tin can become infected with the parasite by eating undercooked or raw meat, and coming in contact with cat feces in a litter box or in the soil outside. Cats in particular, pick up the parasite by eating infected rodents, birds, or other animals. The parasite is then passed into the cat's feces, which is how humans come in contact with it. Take these precautions when you are gardening or changing your true cat's litter box to reduce your adventure of getting toxoplasmosis:

• Wear gloves and avert touching your rima oris when yous are working in a garden that may be contaminated.
• Cook meat thoroughly earlier eating.
• Thoroughly launder all fruits and vegetables that might have been grown in contaminated soil.
• Accept someone else alter your cat's litter box while you are pregnant, if possible.
• If yous do change the litter box, use rubber gloves and go outside or open up windows to avoid breathing contaminated vapors.

Use Circumspection

While you should use mutual sense and avoid overexposure to toxic substances when you are pregnant, it is important to keep this data in perspective. Therefore, you should be cautious—not paranoid—when y'all are using potentially toxic substances effectually the firm.

Resources

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists
http://world wide web.acog.org

United states of america Environmental Protection Agency
http://www.epa.gov

Canadian Resource

Most Kids Health—The Infirmary for Sick Children
http://www.aboutkidshealth.ca

Health Canada
http://www.hc-sc.gc.ca

References

Frey KA. Preconception care past the nonobstetrical provider. Mayo Clin Proc. 2002;77:469-473.

Parasites. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) website. Available at: http://www.cdc.gov/parasites/. Updated Baronial 27, 2015. Accessed January 26, 2016.

Pregnant or planning a pregnancy? Atomic number 82 Activeness News. Lead Education and Abatement Blueprint website. Available at: http://www.pb.org.au/lanv6n2/update005.html. Accessed January 26, 2016.

Remodeling your home? Have yous considered indoor air quality. The states Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) website. Available at: http://www.epa.gov/indoor-air-quality-iaq/remodeling-your-home-have-y'all-considered-indoor-air-quality. Accessed Jan 26, 2016.

Toxoplasmosis. EBSCO DynaMed website. Available at: http://www.ebscohost.com/dynamed. Updated January 8, 2016. Accessed January 26, 2016.

• Michael Woods, Physician
• 201601
• 20140325

hughesactoluesce00.blogspot.com

Source: https://www.winchesterhospital.org/health-library/article?id=40048

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