While most women are aware that they need to stay clear of harsh chemicals while pregnant, they overlook just how toxic their everyday cleaning supplies are to their health, their unborn baby and to say the least, so detrimental to the environment. A study in Britain in 2204 showed a link between exposure to household cleaners during pregnancy and asthma in children. Investigators found that those households that used the most chemical-based products during pregnancy were two times more likely to have children with asthma. These findings backed up a similar Australian study that was published in August of 2004.

Recent research has looked at a link between the use of everyday household cleaning products, including aerosols and air fresheners, during pregnancy, and persistent wheezing in pre-school children. The study concluded that pre-school children whose mothers used cleaning products most frequently during pregnancy were found to be more than twice as likely to wheeze persistently throughout early childhood. Additionally, a study of respiratory health showed a clear connection between children's breathing problems and their mothers' heavy use of common cleaning products in pregnancy. Greenpeace found that chemicals found in perfumes and cleaning products can cross the placenta.

The research and clinical trials on the use of household cleaning products and the effect it has on your health and the environment are to numerous to be ignored. The National Institute of Health as a wonderful site where you can just type in a name of a product and read the safety and toxicity information on each product. There link is http://hpd.nlm.nih.gov/index.htm and it holds a wealth of information. Furthermore the site will provide information on skin care products. Research in the cosmetics field has also shown that the chemicals used in a lot of skin care products are toxic too.

Chemicals to steer clear of in the home include: triclosan, an anti-bacterial agent found in cleaning products, disinfectant hand wash and toothpaste (which has a possible link with liver damage); alkypheonols, found in detergents (which are linked to sperm damage), and artificial musk found in perfumes (linked to cancer).

You should also avoid Latex paints; used indoors they can also be toxic as they release volatile organic compounds (VOCs) into the air that you breathe. If you've already painted a room, stay out of it as much as you can and keep windows open until the smell fades.

Avoid all pesticides if possible. Additionally, bug sprays that contain DEET have not been properly evaluated for safety during pregnancy and therefore should be used with caution. Instead of applying the bug repellant directly onto your skin where it can be absorbed, apply it to your clothing instead. Use gloves or an applicator so the spray doesn't get on to your hands.

Other products to avoid are: Bleach, Window cleaners, Carpet cleaners, Disinfectants, Dry cleaning fluids, Aerosols, Air Fresheners, and Paint Stripper.

Although there is not much you can do about the toxins in the outdoor environment, you can take steps to rid your home of toxic products. Not only are most common cleaning supplies harmful to your health they are just a detrimental to our environment.

While you should not hide in your home while pregnant, a common sense approach is needed when doing your usual household cleaning. Your skin is the largest organ in your body. It serves a two way function, one is to eliminate toxins through the skin via perspiration and it also absorbs toxins through the hair follicles and sebaceous glands. If you put a chemical on your skin, it will be absorbed into the blood stream.

I was taught that clean has a smell, such as Lysol, bleach or Mr. Clean however, I know better now. The harmful fumes from so many cleaning products linger in the air and can actually cause illness and/or respiratory problems especially in children. In view of the harmful effects of common cleaning products on our health and the environment, it behooves me that these toxic chemical based cleaners still crowd the shelves of supermarkets and drugstores.