Every day we come into contact with a multitude of substances or factors that may adversely affect our health and our children. In fact, our environment can leave its mark long before conception. And not only the environment of the mother but also the father of the future.
Exposure to certain substances or agents with a potential risk for reproduction (eg, physical stress, noise, radiation or stress), which are common especially in the workplace can lower our fertility, and even cause difficulties during adverse effects on pregnancy or fetal health. Factors such as stress can change the sexual instincts of men or women, for example by reducing the libido, while certain chemicals or ionizing radiation can damage the eggs or sperm, modify the genetic material contained in them, and even cause cancer or other disease in male and female reproductive organs. Our concern for a healthy pregnancy should begin, then, long before conception.
Fortunately, most babies are born healthy and with the prospect of a long life full of health, but as parents our concern is to provide the greatest potential to make this happen. We can make choices and changes in our lifestyle, if possible even before pregnancy to improve our own health and create a healthier environment for our future family.
The air we breathe
In recent years an increasing interest in studying how it could influence prenatal exposure to air pollution on the health of the newborn. The WHO report "Effects of air pollution on health and child development" (2005) recognized the relationship of air pollution by certain particles in suspension with breathing difficulties during the postnatal period. In addition, the air we breathe at home or in our workplace can collect particles of different products such as cleaners, insecticides, air fresheners, candle smoke, dust or paint.
We can minimize the effects of our daily exposure to air pollution if we develop some activities in a natural environment. Often enjoy hiking or walking in the midst of nature, far from urban enclaves and fields where they have used pesticides or other chemicals, improve our fitness, our mood, and allow us to enjoy at least for a few hours healthier air.
At home or in our workplace, we can improve the air we breathe with such simple measures how are you:
- Open windows and ventilate with some frequency, especially at times when we do not have much traffic. The fresh air will help dilute the smoke and possible volatile chemicals generated by the use of cleaning products, paint, and others.
- Clean the dust at least once a week with a damp cloth. The powder is a combination of chemical and biological regularly and remove carpets, fabrics and wood improve the quality of air we breathe.
- Wash pillows, blankets, sheets, quilts, etc. regularly.
- Use a dehumidifier in very humid areas or housing to prevent mold contamination.
- Check frequently gas installations, bad combustion can generate carbon monoxide. This gas is also produced in burning coal, wood and engines.
- Prevent the effects of passive smoking: do not let anyone smoke inside your home, and avoid smoky environments of snuff.
- Place plants, and if it is possible to plant trees, improve air quality both inside and outside the home or workplace.
We are what we eat
When planning a pregnancy, and of course once pregnant, it is important to think a bit on what we eat. Unfortunately, some foods contain environmental contaminants such as mercury or other persistent organic pollutants (POPs). POPs accumulate especially in the fatty tissues of living beings, and remain in the environment for long. Therefore, foods rich in animal fat are more likely to contain harmful substances. Some of them stored in our bodies can pass through the placenta during pregnancy. Others may damage sperm quality. Mercury, for example, often focuses on fish, is highly toxic to the developing brain and nervous system of the baby.
Much we can do to suppress these pollutants in our environment, since the magnitude of the problem exceeds our actions as individuals and is the responsibility of governments and health policy, but what we can do is try to minimize our exposure to these substances, adapting our eating habits:
- Choose the fish you eat. The fish itself is a healthy food, rich in omega 3 fatty acids essential for the development of unborn baby's neurological system. But at the same time, the most common form of contact with mercury is ingestion of contaminated fish. To enjoy the benefits of eating fish and at the same time, reduce exposure to mercury, couples planning a pregnancy, pregnant women and infants and children should limit consumption of fish with the highest mercury content, such as such as swordfish, fresh tuna steak or shark and choose varieties with lower mercury content, such as canned light tuna, fresh salmon, hake, cod, sardines, herring, anchovies, clams and white fish, which can eaten without limitation. On the other hand, we can get a good supply of omega-3 fatty acids from plant foods such as cauliflower, broccoli, brussels sprouts, tofu and nuts.
- Remove the fat from meat and avoid eating the skin of fish and chicken.
- Cook meat fish and poultry grilled or baked, as this will eliminate fat.
- Eat more vegetables rich in protein such as beans and pulses, vegetable oil and use olive or sunflower. Are foods low in fat and contain less persistent organic pollutants.
- Wash and peel fruits and verturas non-organic to reduce exposure to pesticides used for cultivation.
- Use dishes and glass or ceramic containers for heating in the microwave instead of plastic containers or films that when heated can pass toxic substances into the food.
- Check your tap water. If you live in a building built before 1978, see if the pipes are lead, because lead exposure is associated with an increased risk of abortion and may be harmful to the health of future children. If pipes are old, you are advised to run water before using and not using hot tap water for drinking or cooking. Also, to minimize exposure to lead, it is important to maintain a balanced diet rich in vegetables and minerals, calcium, iron and vitamin C hinder the absorption of the metal.
Chemicals in our daily
Many cleaning products, hygiene and cosmetics we use in day to day can contain substances whose safety and impact on the health of pregnant women and children has not been sufficiently studied. Many of them are easily preventable and can be replaced by more environmentally friendly non-toxic to our health and the environment.
- Avoid using mothballs, insecticidal collars or pesticides at home or in the garden.
- Find non-toxic cleaners, or makes your own. You can make a good wood polish by mixing one part lemon juice with two parts vegetable oil. The water with sodium bicarbonate is a good product to clean the kitchen or bathroom.
- Avoid dry cleaning. Dry cleaners are made from chemicals that remain in the tissue can be absorbed through the skin. It is preferable to use a mild soap and hand wash or dry cleaner to find a free, no solvents.
- Use care products and cosmetics from natural ingredients. Many common products for personal hygiene are absorbed through the skin and can contain harmful chemicals such as phthalate, endocrine disruptor that can alter the hormonal balance at doses generally well below exposure limits established by law.
Preparing the nest
Many families move house or carry out reforms to bring home a new member. However, it is possible that such reforms generated toxic, so that couples who are planning pregnancy, pregnant women or young children should not remain in the property until the completion of reforms and the house has been cleaned and ventilated completely. If you have no choice but to stay home during construction, can be a good idea to keep well away from housing areas and construction.
- Avoid using glues and solvents. If possible, hire a professional to perform these tasks, and stay at home of a relative or friend, or even a hotel, until they finish the work.
- Avoid sanding the old paint from the walls. When sanding, a dust that can be harmful to health, especially if the house was built before 1978, when paint contained significant amounts of lead.
- Look for safer materials for construction, non-toxic glues and paints green.
Only a small fraction of the tens of thousands of chemicals in our everyday environment have been adequately evaluated for their impact on reproduction. It would be impossible to enumerate in a limited space all that variety of substances, to know that the Institute of Work, Environment and Health (ISTAS) maintains the database RISCTOX on hazardous substances, with clear and updated information on health risks and environmental chemicals may be present in the products handled or generated in your environment. A quick consultation RISCTOX can clear many doubts.
An action plan
One day
Every day we are exposed to certain chemicals or hazardous substances. It is important to detect these products and try to minimize contact with them. Whether you are male or female, if you are planning a pregnancy you may consider some questions and establish your own plan of action.
"I can completely avoid a dangerous product?
I can do the same thing without using that product?
Can you make this task a person who is not planning a pregnancy?
I can organize my home, my workplace or my leisure activities otherwise to avoid contact with this product?
What I can do not to enter the house a risk associated with my workplace and not to expose my partner?
If I can not avoid an unsafe product, "I can limit the problem?
I can protect myself with any special equipment?
I can use a smaller amount of the product?
In the work environment
In some workplace exposures occur at different chemical, physical, biological and / or psychosocial factors that are potential reproductive risk.
The Health and Safety Act protects employees of reproductive rights before conception and the health of workers and their offspring during pregnancy and postpartum.
If you are pregnant or planning a pregnancy and conditions of your job puden adversely affect your health or the future baby, you can request an adjustment of the conditions or working time, or the transition to a free workplace risk. If this is not possible, ie if the company has no job without risk, or if you are an independent worker exposed to risks to the pregnancy, you ask Social Security to suspend the contract and the economic benefit risk during pregnancy.
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