As an expectant mom, protecting your unborn child becomes priority. Everything feels like a potential danger: from the food you eat to the air you breathe. Even your home can carry a lethal threat—are there toxic chemicals lurking around you? 

Harmful chemicals you are exposed to can get into your bloodstream and pass through the placenta where your baby is developing. Studies show that prenatal exposure to toxins can cause detrimental effects in your child’s life since their organ systems are growing at a very fast rate. Chemical exposure puts your unborn baby at risk for diseases that are permanent and irreversible, like brain and organ damage; in some cases, these problems even show up as late as adulthood.

What can you do? A cautious approach (better safe than sorry!) tempered with practical information can help you navigate through this critical, and often confusing, time. If you feel concerned about the chemicals you’ve been exposed to during your pregnancy, talk to your doctor about your questions and fears.

Here are ten of the most common household chemical threats – and what you can do to avoid them:

1. Lead

• Potential health risks: Behavioral disorders; reduced IQ; increased risk of preterm labor

• Where it’s commonly found: Paint (especially in houses and furniture built before the 1980s; even in old structures nearby), tap water with old water pipes, lipsticks with pigments that contain lead

• How to avoid it: Lead is a metal that humans should avoid exposure to entirely. Watch out for old or peeling paint; use lead-free paint when decorating; forego hand-me-down furniture (like that wooden crib of your great-grandparent) if you are not sure about the materials used or how it’s been updated; drink from safe sources of water; and shop for your makeup wisely, checking the ingredients list and buying only from trusted brands (even “natural” products may contain metal traces).

2. Mercury

• Potential health risks: Reduced IQ, neurodevelopmental disorders including autism

• Where it’s commonly found: In your seafood, particularly in large, predatory fish like tuna, shark, swordfish, king mackerel, and tilefish. In your home, in compact fluorescent light (CFL) bulbs and older thermometers.

• How to avoid it: Watch what you eat. Don’t avoid fish altogether; these omega 3-rich sources are typically less risky: shrimp, pollock, tilapia, cod, anchovies, sardines, and trout. Change your light sources to LED and choose a digital thermometer instead of the old-fashioned mercury-tipped type.

 

3. PCBs (polychlorinated biphenyl)

• Potential health risks: Development of attention deficit and hyperactivity disorder; increased body mass index; reduced IQ

• Where it’s commonly found: Mostly through food. Some fish and meat contain PCBs, as they can absorb PCBs from the environment (e.g. waterways and soil). Some plastic food packaging have been found with traces of PCBs as well. They have also been found in some house paints, newspapers, and magazines, as PCBs can be found in colorings and ink.

• How to avoid it:  Choose your food wisely. Select fresh fish and organic meat, from trustworthy sources, instead of farmed. And since PCBs concentrate in fat, eat less red meat and fatty fish and trim the fat from food as much as possible. Switch your pantry fillers with fresh organic fruits, vegetables and grains instead of packaged processed food. Opt for items that use non-toxic paints and primers.

 

4. Formaldehyde

• Potential health risks: Miscarriage, congenital malformations, and premature birth.

• Where it’s commonly found: Your risk of exposure to formaldehyde is mostly from the air you breathe indoors. It can be found in household products like disinfectants, adhesives, cleaning products, carpets, and newly pressed-wood products, like medium-density fiberboard (MDF). It’s in some beauty products (such as nail polish) and procedures (like the Brazilian Blowout). You can also breathe in formaldehyde as a by-product of cigarette smoking and unvented, fuel burning appliances like gas stoves.

• How to avoid it: Read labels carefully. Choose formaldehyde-free products. Patronize natural home cleaning products—or make your own. Buy solid wood furniture instead of pressed wood, particle board, or laminate. Play it safe and avoid aerosol air fresheners, plug-in fragrance dispensers, and atomized perfume. Choose nail salons that use non-toxic products because you can still breathe in the formaldehyde from the client next to you otherwise. Skip chemical hair straightening and smoothing products. Air out your home often.

 

5. Phthalates

• Potential health risks: Premature birth and low birth weight in babies; ADHD and obesity in kids years later. 

• Where it’s commonly found: Phthalates are common in vinyl building products (like flooring) and plastic materials, and they tend to leach, migrate, or evaporate into indoor air and concentrate in household dust. Many household products like air fresheners, perfume, household cleaning products, detergents—use phthalates for their synthetic fragrances. Cosmetics, shampoo, and lotions also add phthalates to their ingredients as softeners. 

• How to avoid it: Choose phthalates-free products. Go plastic free; in the same vein, do not microwave in plastic to avoid phthalates leaching to your food.  Pare down your cosmetics and body care essentials to the bare minimum to lessen your chemical exposure through your skin. Replace vinyl and plastic home items (think shower curtains and raincoats) with fabric or rubberized alternatives.

 

6. PBDEs, or polybrominated diphenyl ethers

• Potential health risks: The more PBDEs a pregnant woman is exposed to, the lower her child’s IQ; possibly ADHD

• Where it’s commonly found: PBDEs are industrial-grade flame retardants which means they are often used in furniture, mattresses, and the plastic your electronics are housed. They easily leach out from its foam mixture and into house dust, food, and eventually, our bodies.

• How to avoid it: Be critical when shopping for furniture. Do your research if your mattress or sofa supplier is certified for environmental safety. For mattresses and other foam products, certifications like Certipur guarantee that products are made without harmful flame retardants like PBDEs. If you have existing cushion or stuffing material, you can try to reduce the buildup of PBDE dust at home by covering it. You can also check if your preferred electrical gadget adheres to environmental safety standards by checking with the corporate information. Popular brands Canon, Dell, HP, Intel, Erickson, Apple, Acer, Nokia, Motorola, LG Electronics, and Sony offer products free of PBDE. To reduce PDBE dust at home, you can clean your home with a wet mop or microfiber cloth and use a vacuum with a HEPA filter.

 

7. Toluene

• Potential health problems: When exposed to high levels in utero, toluene can cause mental and growth retardation in children

• Where it’s commonly found: Used as a solvent in paints, paint thinners, fingernail polish, lacquers, adhesives, rubber and in some printing and leather tanning processes. It’s in premium gasoline when added with benzene and xylene to improve octane.

• How to avoid it: Use toluene-free (formaldehyde-free) nail polish. Don't refinish furniture while pregnant—or steer clear of home projects altogether, if you have someone doing the work for you. Avoid lacquer-based paint in the meantime (water-based alternatives are safer. Avoid inhaling gasoline fumes, whether at the gas station or outside—don’t be out on the street with heavy traffic if possible. And do not sniff glue or paint as this is the fastest way to get a dangerous dose in your system.

 

8. Perfluorochemicals

•  Potential health problems: Reduced birth weight and, in rare cases, birth defects

• Where it’s commonly found: Perfluorinated organic compounds, like PFOA and PFOS, are used to make products stain or stick-resistant. This can be anything from food wrappers, non-stick cookware, and stain resistant clothing, carpeting and furniture.

• How to avoid it: Don’t use or buy stain-resistant furniture or spray stain protection chemicals or sprays for your home. Use clothing that are easy to wash and protect yourself from stains the old-fashioned way: using napkins. If you use non-stick pots and pans, do not use on high temperatures and watch out for signs of deterioration, like chipping. If you can, use stainless steel or seasoned cast iron in your kitchen instead.

 

9. Asbestos

• Potential health problems: Asbestos can cause cancer and there is no safe level of exposure to it.

• Where it’s commonly found: Because it resists fire, asbestos may be found in almost every part of a home, especially older ones, including roofing shingles, vinyl flooring, duct, pipe and attic insulation, sheetrock, ceiling tiles. Asbestos can also be found in automotive products like disc brake pads and drum brake linings, and even clothing. When these items get old and begin to flake, asbestos fibers become airborne and can penetrate deep into the lungs when inhaled. Asbestos can also contaminate drinking water.

• How to avoid it: If your house has asbestos and it is in good condition, it will not release asbestos fiber so just leave it alone. Do not disturb the asbestos material at any time, like during renovation, and be on the lookout for signs of wear or damage like cracks, abrasions or water damage. When the material is hit, rubbed, or mishandled, you risk the release of asbestos fibers. You can seek out asbestos professionals to check for existing asbestos in your house and they can treat it with a sealant that binds the fibers together or to cover it with a stable material to avoid releasing the fibers. Always make sure your drinking water comes from a reputable and trusted source.

 

10. BPA (bisphenol-A)

• Potential health risks: Fetal exposure to BPA might affect the developing brain during gestation. It can cause future problems in the child like earlier onset of puberty, increased susceptibility to breast and prostate cancer, and changes in gender specific behavior caused by altered brain development. It also puts the child at risk for obesity, diabetes, and birth defects.

• Where it’s commonly found: They’re in many products made of hard plastic like water jugs and bottles, baby bottles, plates and cups, and food storage containers; in epoxy resin that lines food and beverage cans to prevent corrosion and bacterial contamination; even embedded in thermal cash register receipts. BPAs leach easily into food or the packaging they touch.

• How to avoid it: Replace plastic water bottles even those labeled BPA-free. Use stainless steel, glass, or aluminum instead. Opt for fresh or frozen foods and juice, soda, water and beer in glass bottles instead of canned products. Don't heat food in plastic storage containers, or put hot food in plastic, even those that are “microwavable.” Use glass bowls and jars instead. 

SOURCES:

Prenatal Exposure to Chemicals

https://www.psr.org/wp-content/uploads/2018/05/prenatal-exposure-to-chemicals.pdf

 

Formaldehyde Exposure during Pregnancy

https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/25919211 

 

PBDE Fact Sheet

https://www.womensvoices.org/wp-content/uploads/2012/01/PBDE-fact-sheet.pdf 

Increasing Use of Asbestos in Asia

http://business.inquirer.net/151473/increasing-use-of-asbestos-in-asia#ixzz5Qmnc3DAQ 

Which 20 Lipsticks Contain the Most Lead?

https://www.motherjones.com/environment/2013/05/study-lead-metals-lipstick-top-20/

Higher Exposure to Flame Retardants in Pregnant Women Leads to Lower IQ in Children

https://www.ucsf.edu/news/2017/08/407951/higher-exposure-flame-retardants-pregnant-women-leads-lower-iq-children 

The 10 Most Common Household Toxins To Avoid While Pregnant

https://www.womansday.com/health-fitness/womens-health/g2934/toxic-chemicals-to-avoid-when-pregnant/