House Dust Avoidance during Pregnancy and Subsequent Infant Development: The Japan Environment and Children’s Study

Kenta Matsumura, Kei Hamazaki, Akiko Tsuchida, Hidekuni Inadera and The Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) Group
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Kenta Matsumura: Toyama Regional Center for Japan Environment and Children’s Study, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
Kei Hamazaki: Toyama Regional Center for Japan Environment and Children’s Study, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
Akiko Tsuchida: Toyama Regional Center for Japan Environment and Children’s Study, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
Hidekuni Inadera: Toyama Regional Center for Japan Environment and Children’s Study, University of Toyama, 2630 Sugitani, Toyama 930-0194, Japan
The Japan Environment and Children’s Study (JECS) Group: Membership of the JECS Group is provided in the Acknowledgments. JECS Programme Office, National Institute for Environmental Studies, 16-2 Onogawa, Tsukuba, Ibaraki 305-8506, Japan

IJERPH, 2021, vol. 18, issue 8, 1-12

Abstract: House dust, well known for causing allergy, contains chemicals that are harmful to fetal neurodevelopment. However, whether countermeasures for house dust allergy, such as frequent use of vacuum cleaners, frequent airing of futons, and the usage of anti-mite covers during pregnancy, are related to subsequent reduced risk of infant developmental delay remains unknown. Therefore, we examined this association by analyzing 81,106 mother-infant pairs who participated in a nationwide birth cohort in Japan. Infant developmental delays at 6 and 12 months postpartum were assessed using the Ages and Stages Questionnaire, Third Edition. A generalized linear model analysis was used to derive adjusted odds ratios (AORs) with the lowest care frequency as reference, while controlling 22 covariates. Our analysis showed that the above-mentioned cleaning measures were overall associated with a reduced risk of developmental delays, both at 6 and 12 months postpartum (AOR varied from 0.73 to 0.95, median: 0.84). Additionally, risks tended to decrease with an increase in the cleaning frequency. In conclusion, a negative dose-response association existed between these measures during pregnancy and infant developmental delay. Our results identify a potential role of frequent vacuum cleaning, airing bedding, and usage of anti-mite bedding covers in promoting intact infant development.

Keywords: housekeeping; dust; infant; diagnostic screening programs; psychomotor disorders; communication disorders (search for similar items in EconPapers)
JEL-codes: I I1 I3 Q Q5 (search for similar items in EconPapers)
Date: 2021
References: View references in EconPapers View complete reference list from CitEc
Citations: View citations in EconPapers (1)

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