ALBERTA, CANADA — Commonly used household disinfectants and multi-surface cleaners could be making children overweight by affecting their gut bacteria, according to a study published on Monday in the Canadian Medical Association Journal. <br /><br />Infants living in households where antimicrobial disinfectants were used at least once a week were twice as likely to have elevated levels of the bacteria Lachnospiraceae at ages 3 to 4 months than children whose homes did not use disinfectants frequently, according to CNN. <br /><br />According to Anita Kozyrskyj, lead author of the study, higher levels of Lachnospiraceae in animal studies have been associated with higher body fat and insulin resistance. <br /><br />Researchers collected stool samples from 757 infants and analyzed their body mass index, BMI, at older ages in addition to parental use of disinfectant products.<br />Scientists found that around 80 percent of Canadian households use disinfectant products at least once a week. <br /><br />While the team found an increase in Lachnospiraceae with increased antimicrobial disinfectants, they did not find the same association in disinfectants without the bacteria-killing ingredients or eco-friendly cleaners. <br />"These results suggest that gut microbiota were the culprit in the association between disinfectant use and the overweight," said Kozyrskyj, according to CNN. <br />Though the results show connection between disinfectants and the gut microbiome, that does not imply causation. <br /><br />According to Kozyrskyj, further studies need to be carried out to establish a causal relationship.
