Environmental Health in Perinatal and Early Childhood: Awareness, Representation, Knowledge and Practice of Southern France Perinatal Health Professionals

Claire Sunyach, Barbara Antonelli, Sophie Tardieu, Michele Marcot, Jeanne Perrin and Florence Bretelle
Additional contact information
Claire Sunyach: Aix Marseille, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, 13284 Marseille, France
Barbara Antonelli: Réseau Méditerranée, Réseau de Périnatalité PACA, Corse, Monaco, 13015 Marseille, France
Sophie Tardieu: Santé Publique, Évaluation Médicale, AP-HM, Aix Marseille Université, 13284 Marseille, France
Michele Marcot: Réseau Méditerranée, Réseau de Périnatalité PACA, Corse, Monaco, 13015 Marseille, France
Jeanne Perrin: Aix Marseille, Avignon Université, CNRS, IRD, IMBE, 13284 Marseille, France
Florence Bretelle: Pôle Femmes-Parents-Enfants, Centre Pluridisciplinaire de Diagnostic Prénatal, AP-HM, 13915 Marseille, France

IJERPH, 2018, vol. 15, issue 10, 1-18

Abstract: The exposure of adults of reproductive age as well as pregnant women and children to environmental contaminants is of particular concern, as it can impact fertility, in utero development, pregnancy outcomes and child health. Consequently, the World Health Organisation (WHO) and international societies advocate including Environmental Health (EH) in perinatal care, yet perinatal health professionals (HPs) hardly put these recommendations into practice. In 2017, a cross-sectional study was performed in a large panel of perinatal HPs in south-eastern France with the aim of painting a picture of their current attitudes, representation, knowledge, and training expectations. Quantitative and qualitative information was collected via auto-questionnaire. Questionnaires were completed by 962 participants, mainly midwives (41.1%), physicians (25.6%) and nursery nurses (11%). Indoor/outdoor air quality and endocrine disruptors were the best-mastered topics, whereas electromagnetic fields and diet gave rise to unsure responses. Overall, perinatal HPs were ill-trained and -informed about the reproductive risks linked to daily environmental exposure. HPs reported scarce knowledge, fear of patient reaction and lack of solutions as the main barriers to providing information regarding EH to the public. Our findings highlight the need to set up EH training programmes focused on scientific knowledge and to provide simple messages and tips to help perinatal HPs deliver advice to populations to mitigate exposure to environmental toxicants.

Keywords: environmental toxicants; reproductive health; environmental health; perinatal health professionals; attitudes; perception; practices; preventive attitude (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2018
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (3)

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