Pregnant mums' jobs can give children asthma

A Pregnant woman's job can give her child asthma, a major study reveals today.

Individuals exposed to certain substances are known to be at risk of developing the breathing condition.

But new research shows that mothers can pass on work-triggered asthma to their unborn child. It is the first time a direct link has been established.

Researchers analysed the health of 43,000 children aged seven and asked their mums where they had worked while pregnant.

Women involved with vehicle parts, wooden furniture, shoes, glues and paint were twice as likely to have youngsters with asthma. The results took into account other factors such as age, weight, smoking and exposure to pets. Most of the mums had already developed breathing difficulties.

The findings will be released to doctors at the European Respiratory Society's annual congress in Amsterdam today.

The researchers called for better ventilation in factories to reduce the risk.

Dr Berit Hvass Christensen, of Denmark's School of Public Health, said: "Further research is needed to find the most harmful chemicals and substances."

There are about five million asthma sufferers in Britain.

Professor Marc Decramer, the society's president, said: "Indoor air quality is a major global issue. We need positive steps towards managing air quality in the workplace."

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