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UK Wedding News

06/09/2013

DIY Jobs Could Harm Unborn Babies

Researchers have warned pregnant women that carrying out DIY jobs, especially when renovating an older property, can put both them and their unborn child at risk.

Experts found that DIY on older houses can release lead from old paintwork, and the poison can raise blood pressure, putting women at risk of pre-eclampsia. They also found open fires can be dangerous as burning coal also releases lead particles into the air. Passed from mother to baby, the particles are also claimed to stunt intelligence and make children hyperactive.

Bristol University, which carried out the study, also said alcohol, coffee and pet dogs can be potential sources of lead of pregnancy as it's thought the animal could bring contaminated soil and dust into the home.

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Dr Caroline Taylor, an expert in the effect of various metals on children's growth and development, looked at lead readings in blood samples taken from more than 4,000 pregnant women from the Bristol area. She discovered that readings were higher than those found in similar groups in other developed countries, and were particularly high in women who were educated to degree level.

The researchers admitted they are unsure why better-educated women appear to be at greater risk, but speculated it is because they are more likely to buy older homes and renovate them.

Writing in the journal PLoS ONE, Dr Taylor explained: "A possible explanation is that women with higher educational attainment lived on older housing stock rather than on modern estates and were perhaps involved in the renovation of older properties; this might cause exposure to lead-based paints, through sanding old woodwork, and to large amounts of dust that has accumulated over many decades."

The study is the largest of its kind ever done in the UK. The samples were taken in the early 1990s as part of a long-running health project.

(JP/CD)

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"Researchers have warned pregnant women that carrying out DIY jobs, especially when renovating an older property, can put both them and their unborn child at risk."