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Having
Healthy Babies by Avoiding Dangerous Chemicals at Home and at Work
(Español)
Congratulations!
If you are reading this pamphlet, you are planning to have a
family. You are starting
off the right way— by getting lots of information about having a
healthy baby.
San Diego
neighborhoods are a good place to have children. However, you should
know that some chemicals used here can cause people to have problems
becoming pregnant or giving birth to healthy babies.
Not all chemicals harm babies.
For those that do, you can use the easy steps in this pamphlet to
protect yourself and your babies.
If
you have been unable to have a baby for over a year and either you or
your partner is exposed to any chemicals,
ask your doctor whether the chemicals could be the cause.
 How
chemicals enter the body and reach the baby
Chemicals
can enter your body in the air that you breathe or that touch your skin,
or that you swallow accidentally. If
you are pregnant, your baby can be affected if the chemical passes from
your blood to the baby.
 Care
For A Baby Begins Early In Pregnancy
During
the first three months of pregnancy, the baby’s arms, legs, heart and
other organs are being formed. If
a baby is exposed to dangerous chemicals during this time, he may not
form normally. Because you
may not know that you are pregnant during the first three months, it
is important to find out any dangerous chemicals around you now so you
can avoid them before you get pregnant! During
the last six months of pregnancy, some
chemicals can affect the baby’s brain or slow down his growth. If
growth is slowed, the baby may weigh less than normal at birth and be
more likely to get sick or die once born.
 Home
exposures in San Diego
Here
are a few simple changes you can make in your home to ensure you have a
healthy baby.
Housecleaning: Pregnant women should share housework with others to
avoid commercial cleaning products.
Pregnant women who do clean should use liquid soap, vinegar and
water mixtures instead of commercial products for daily cleaning.
The Environmental Health Coalition, whose website address
is on the back of this pamphlet, has recipes for safe, make-it-
 yourself cleaners.
Bug sprays: Pregnant women should avoid bug sprays. Instead, stop pests from coming into the home by fixing holes
in walls and window screens, and also by getting rid of crumbs and leaky
faucets that give bugs food and water.
If pests do become a problem, contact the Environmental
 Health Coalition for less dangerous ways to control
them.
Cat
litter:
Pregnant women should not clean cat litter boxes to avoid getting a rare
disease called toxoplasmosis which can hurt babies in the womb.
 Lead:
Lead
is a dangerous metal that is found in a lot of places.
It is often in ceramic bowls and
 mugs from Mexico. Use these just for display, not for
eating. It is also in some
make-up and home remedies like Azarcon, Greta, Maria Luisa, Ruida, Liga,
Coral, Alardon and Luiga. Read
labels carefully before using products.
Lead can seep into food stored in open cans.
Put
 food into plastic containers after opening a can.
Finally, lead can be found in paint dust.
Pregnant women who live in older homes with peeling paint should
have others mop up the dust. Anyone
who thinks he or she has been exposed to lead should get blood lead
levels checked by a doctor. For
more information, call the Childhood Lead Poisoning Prevention
Information Line at (619) 515-6694.
 Future
Fathers
It
is important to remember that half of a baby’s genes comes from his
father and half from his mother. Therefore,
both men and women who want to have a family should avoid
dangerous
 chemicals.
Working
While Pregnant
Most
women who are pregnant can continue
working during pregnancy without hurting their baby.
However, both men and women who work with chemicals should get
more information about them and
 share this information with their doctor.
Chemicals
In The Workplace
It
is impossible to list all chemicals that can make a person have trouble
having healthy babies. A
few examples to talk with your doctor about are:
Metals for galvanizing, soldering and plating.
Used in the electronics industry, Navy shipyard and construction.
Strong
vapors
from
paints, dry cleaning, and house cleaning chemicals.
Pesticides/herbicides
used in
the home, garden and fields to kill bugs and weeds.
 Lead found in
car batteries and plumbing pipes.
Gasoline
exhaust
from
gas stations, truck driving and auto shops.
Radiation from x-rays taken at dental and doctors’ offices.
 Protect
Yourself from Chemicals
Replace
dangerous chemicals with safer ones, if available and if your boss will make the change.
Use
safe work practices.
Store chemicals in sealed containers when not using
them. Do not eat or drink
in work areas. Wash hands
before
 eating. If
a chemical spills on you, wash with soap and water. Bring a change of clothing for work that is washed separately
from the rest of the laundry. If
possible, shower before leaving work at the end of the day.
This keeps chemicals at work from coming home with you.
Keep
the air you breathe clean. The best way to do this is
to use a “hood” over the chemical’s source which takes away the
contaminated air before you breathe it in.
If hoods are not in place, try opening windows and doors.
Use
gloves, respirators and aprons if they are necessary. Go
to all safety classes given by your boss to see what safety equipment
you may need.
Get
informed
 Find
out what chemicals you work with.
Ask
your supervisor for the Material Safety Data Sheets (MSDS)
which list all dangerous chemicals in a product.
Also ask for the levels of chemicals in the air around your work
area, if they have been measured. Share
this information with your doctor.
If
you are overexposed to a chemical at work, you can call Cal/OSHA, a state agency that ensures
healthy work environments. You
can ask for a consult at: (858) 467-4071 or file a complaint at: (858)
637-5534.
Find
more information on chemicals you are exposed to at home
by
reading the labels. If you
have questions about specific chemicals, you may call the California
Teratogen Registry at 1(800) 532-3749.
For less dangerous substitutes for many household chemicals, see
the Environmental Health Coalition's website.
Remember,
chemicals are only one of many things which can affect a pregnancy.
Two factors that have a big affect on your baby are eating well and
seeing your doctor regularly during pregnancy.
This
brochure was developed by Linda Fu, M.D., while she was a medical
student at UCSD under the
supervision of EHC Board Member Ruth Heifetz. For more information
contact Ruth Heifetz. |
