Pregnant women's exposure to pollutants emitted from gas stoves may affect their babies' nervous system development, a Spanish study suggests.
Gas stoves normally use natural gas, propane or butane as fuel. Burning can produce a mixture of organic chemicals, including NO2, sulfur dioxide and carbon monoxide.
NO2 is the most studied indoor air pollutant and is found to be 1.5 to 2 times higher in homes with gas appliances.
To examine whether exposure to such chemicals would affect neurodevelopment, scientists studied more than 2,000 pregnant women and their babies living across Spain.
The studied mothers were asked what type of stove such as gas or electric they were using at home during the third trimester of pregnancy and whether an exhaust fan was used above the stove.
Scientists also accessed the babies' mental developmental index (MDI) between 11 to 22 months after birth. MDI is statistically equivalent to an Intelligence Quotient or IQ test in older children.
The results showed that regardless of social class and education, infants with gas cookers in their home had on average slightly lower MDI scores (about 2.5 percent).
The decrease was strongest among children tested after the age of 14 months and when gas cooking was combined with less frequent use of an extractor fan, says the report published in the journal Epidemiology.
According to the findings, about 40 percent of the studied families were using gas appliances and natural gas was the main fuel used in their homes.
Scientists did not measure levels of pollutants emitted from gas appliances and their relation with the babies' development. The issue may be a point of focus for future studies.
SJM/TE