Maternal Cleaning Habits During Pregnancy May Influence Child Development

A new study reveals that house cleaning behaviors during pregnancy may affect developmental screening outcomes in children. Household dust contains harmful substances including phthalates, flame retardants, allergens, endotoxins, and microorganisms that can impact fetal development. Since pregnant women spend considerable time indoors, the quality of their home environment during this critical period may have lasting effects on their child's neurodevelopment. Researchers suggest that maintaining a clean home during pregnancy could be an important preventive health measure for optimizing child development and reducing exposure to environmental toxins.

Originally published on
Medical Xpress
Read full article(opens in new tab)Fetched: October 10, 2026 at 10:00 AM



