Despite the extensive research on how expecting mother’s nutritional choices affect their babies, current research barely scratches the surface on how mold harms pregnancies. The effects of tobacco use, inflammatory foods, and alcohol on a developing baby have received countless studies and articles. By contrast, few studies have adequately evaluated whether mold toxin exposure during pregnancy could contribute to negative outcomes. This paper reviewed the limited research to consolidate what we know and encourage further research into a potentially remediable situation.
The Study
Searching through the medical literature up until 2018, the group only found 17 studies that could contribute insight on the question at hand. Some evidence points at aflatoxin from aspergillus species and fumonisins from Fusarium species as negative factors for pregnancy outcomes. The aflatoxins were associated with intrauterine growth retardations (slowed growth) and neonatal jaundice (yellowing of skin due to liver dysfunction). The fumonisins were associated with hypertensive emergencies and defects in the baby’s neural tube.
In general, by estimating a woman’s exposure to mycotoxins in grains (based on dietary intake and demographics), they found a general association between mycotoxin exposure and preterm birth or miscarriage.
Our Work
As we care for patients with mold toxicity at Sanctuary, we daily face the myriad effects of mold toxins on our patients’ health. We look to the research available, applying what research has uncovered to our patients’ conditions while waiting for the broader medical world to take further action. Thanks go out to this group trying to raise awareness and trying to encourage others to investigate what might be a major contributor to the health of coming generations. Helping patients live healthier, more abundant lives requires not only our work in the clinic but the countless hours of researchers in labs around the world. We again thank them.
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Original Article:
Kyei, Nicholas N A et al. “Maternal mycotoxin exposure and adverse pregnancy outcomes: a systematic review.” Mycotoxin research vol. 36,2 (2020): 243-255. doi:10.1007/s12550-019-00384-6
Further reading:
Gönenç, İlknur Münevver et al. “Mycotoxin exposure and pregnancy.” Critical reviews in toxicology vol. 50,7 (2020): 594-604. doi:10.1080/10408444.2020.1803791
Adaku Chilaka, Cynthia, and Angela Mally. “Mycotoxin Occurrence, Exposure and Health Implications in Infants and Young Children in Sub-Saharan Africa: A Review.” Foods (Basel, Switzerland) vol. 9,11 1585. 1 Nov. 2020, doi:10.3390/foods9111585
Assunção, Ricardo, and Susana Viegas. “Mycotoxin Exposure and Related Diseases.” Toxins vol. 12,3 172. 11 Mar. 2020, doi:10.3390/toxins12030172
Sanctuary Functional Medicine, under the direction of Dr Eric Potter, IFMCP MD, provides functional medicine services to Nashville, Middle Tennessee and beyond. We frequently treat patients from Kentucky, Alabama, Mississippi, Georgia, Ohio, Indiana, and more... offering the hope of healthier more abundant lives to those with chronic illness.
Dr. Eric Potter graduated from Vanderbilt Medical School and then went on to specialize in internal medicine (adult) and pediatric care, spending significant time and effort in growing his medical understanding while caring for patients from all walks of life.
