Warning: household disinfectants may make kids overweight

Warning: household disinfectants may make kids overweight

Eco-friendly cleaners may have a surprising benefit: protecting children from obesity.

Multi-surface cleaners and other common household disinfectants could be making children overweight by altering the bacteria found in their guts, a study published in the Canadian Medical Association Journal suggests.

Infants living in households where anti-microbial disinfectants are used at least weekly were twice as likely to have higher levels of the bacteria Lachnospiraceae at ages 3 to 4 months than children whose homes did not frequently use disinfectants, the researchers found.

When those children were 3 years old, their BMI was higher than children who lived in homes that didn’t frequently use disinfectants, the study also showed.

Anita Kozyrskyj, senior author of the study and a University of Alberta pediatrics professor, said it is known “from animal studies that higher levels of Lachnospiraceae have been associated with higher body fat and insulin resistance.”

Researchers did not see the same association with washing detergents without the bacteria-killing ingredients found in disinfectants or eco-friendly cleaners.

“These results suggest that gut microbiota were the culprit in the association between disinfectant use and the overweight,” said Kozyrskyj.

This is important because past research has drawn a connection between gut microbiota composition and weight in adulthood.

Kozyrskyj warned more research is needed to confirm these results and establish a causal relationship.

Richard Sedlak, executive vice-president at the American Cleaning Institute, said the institute was “disappointed at the sensational claims”.

“Proper use of household cleaners and disinfectants is an important contributor to infection control and healthy homes,” he said.

“These products are trusted by families to effectively clean, sanitise and disinfect areas of their homes, reducing opportunities for children at these young ages to suffer significant illnesses.”

Kozyrskyj said one finding surprised the research team. Babies living in households that used eco-friendly cleaners had different microbiota and were less likely to be overweight as toddlers.

“The eco-friendly product-using mothers may be more healthy,” she said, because the mother’s overall healthier lifestyle and eating habits may benefit both the gut bacteria and the weight of their children.

Because the results have yet to be confirmed, Kozyrskyj is not yet ready to recommend consumers buy eco-friendly products.

However, she said the study did open her mind to using green products, including DIY vinegar cleaning solutions, in her own home.

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