This sheet is about exposure to mold in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare providers. What is mold? Molds are fungi that are able to live almost anywhere, indoors and outdoors. They grow best in warm, damp, and humid places, including water damaged areas. Molds can be different colors and can have a musty, earthy smell. They spread by releasing spores that can pass through the air and be carried on …
The Baby Blog: Environment & Natural Disasters
Insect Repellents
This sheet is about exposure to insect repellents in a pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider. What are insect repellents? Insect repellents are lotions, sprays, or oils that are put on skin or clothing to lower the chance of bites from mosquitoes, flies, ticks, and spiders (“insects”). Insects can carry serious diseases such as malaria, Lyme disease, West Nile virus, and Zika virus. Some insect …
Breastfeeding Following a Natural Disaster
This sheet is about the possible exposures during breastfeeding after a natural disaster. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider. What could I be exposed to in a natural disaster? While many substances enter breast milk, most are not likely to harm a breastfed baby. In most cases, the benefits of breastfeeding far outweigh any risk from an exposure. However, if you notice anything unusual in your nursing baby, tell your …
Carbon Monoxide
This sheet talks about exposure to carbon monoxide in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your health care provider. What is carbon monoxide? Carbon monoxide is a gas. It has no color, smell, or taste. Small amounts of carbon monoxide are normally found in our bodies and in the air we breathe. Large amounts of carbon monoxide gas can be released from poorly working heaters, furnaces, grills, kerosene stoves, or other …
Lead
This sheet talks about whether exposure to lead during pregnancy and while breastfeeding may. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider. What is lead and where is it found? Lead is a heavy metal. It can be found in many places, such as: soil, water, cosmetics, children’s & costume jewelry, old paint, plumbing, batteries, bullets, solders, and gasoline. Lead can leach out of pipes into drinking water. Living near metal smelters or …
