Moms-to-be should avoid certain cosmetics, cleaning agents

Expectant mothers in their first trimester should avoid certain cosmetics, cleaning agents and medicines, to protect the developing foetal brain from chemicals that can trigger autism, researchers say.
"The products that we use on a daily basis, such as creams and cosmetics, contain chemicals that could potentially affect a developing baby during pregnancy," said Professor Dorota Crawford in the School of Kinesiology and Health Science, Faculty of Health at York University.
These products include cleaning solvents, pesticides, nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs such as acetylsalicylic acid; misoprostol (a drug used for inducing labour); polychlorinated bisphenyls used as industrial lubricants; polybrominated diphenyl ethers found in wood and textiles; phthalates in Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) flooring, children's toys, and cosmetics and lotions.

Researchers said that aside from the type of chemical a pregnant woman is exposed to, the duration, the frequency and the concentration level also impact a developing brain at the prenatal stage.
"We recommend that women learn about health effects from exposure to chemical substances in the environment," said PhD candidate Christine Wong at York University, adding that assessment information can be found in the Integrated Risk Information System (IRIS) database maintained by the US Environmental Protection Agency.
According to the researchers, prenatal brain development undergoes constant changes and its normal functioning depends greatly on the presence of specific genes at any given time.

Since environmental factors influence the expression levels of these critical genes, it is important for an expectant mother to be aware and cautious of exposure to these factors, researchers said in a review article published in the European Journal of Neuroscience.