When pregnant women go on a cleaning binge, they could be contributing to their future child’s tendency to allergies. In fact, research shows that exposure to household cleaning products of all kinds during pregnancy and early life is linked directly to a higher rate of asthma.

Previous studies have already shown that asthma risk increases if a child is not exposed to viruses, bacteria and endotoxins (from bacteria). The theory is that if we do not have contact with these substances in our environment, our immune systems do not develop or strengthen. This is called the hygiene hypothesis.

The Avon Longitudinal Study of Parents and Children (ALSPAC) of the University of Bristol, UK takes the hygiene hypothesis a step further. This study clearly shows that it’s not just about bacteria; it suggests that the chemicals themselves may be behind the development of asthma and allergies.

The ALSPAC is a long-term study that followed more than 13,000 kids from the womb to age 16. Data shows that early life exposure to chemicals corresponded to an over 40 per cent increase in asthma risk by age seven.

Asthma in developed countries is on the rise. Chemical exposure is just one of the many phenomena that may factor into the increase in this chronic condition. A host of environmental agents affect asthma and allergies, including tobacco smoke, dust mites, synthetic pillows (which are also a conductor of synthetic chemicals) and plasticizers from the abundant plastic sources in modern life.

Astonishingly, of chemicals that are produced in amounts greater than 1 million pounds per year, only 43 per cent have been tested for human toxicity, while a mere 7 per cent have been researched for any effects on human development.

Given the results of this study, it’s clear that the risk of asthma is not just about your genes; the environment has a large role to play in human health on all levels.

Source: NaturalNews.com