Commonly Used Household Disinfectants May Be Making Kids Overweight By Altering Their Gut Bacteria,

“Multi-surface cleaners and other commonly used household disinfectants could be making children overweight by altering the bacteria found in their guts,” researchers concluded in findings published online in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. Babies “living in households where antimicrobial disinfectants are used at least weekly were twice as likely to have higher levels of the bacteria Lachnospiraceae at ages three to four months than children whose homes did not frequently use disinfectants, the” study revealed, When those youngster “with higher levels of Lachnospiraceae were 3 years old, their body mass index (BMI) was higher than children who do not live in homes that frequently use disinfectants, the study also showed.” Fox News (9/17, Hein) reports that in arriving at the study’s conclusions, investigators examined “the gut microbiota of 757 babies.” Despite the study’s findings, the study authors “cautioned that outside factors that potentially contribute to weight gain couldn’t be ruled out in the study, including a mother’s diet while pregnant.” Also covering the story are the Atlanta Journal-Constitution (9/17, Pirani), U.S. News & World Report (9/17, Lardieri), Newsweek (9/17, Gander), HealthDay (9/17, Thompson), and Medical Daily (9/17, Bharanidharan). https://www.cnn.com/2018/09/17/health/disinfectants-baby-gut-microbiota-bmi-study/index.html