Clean Household Air During Pregnancy

Cigarette smoke and secondhand smoke are two obvious culprits when it comes to poor indoor air quality, and the risk is especially great for a pregnant woman and her unborn child.

"There is excellent evidence that if a pregnant woman is in the presence of secondhand smoke, for example a smoking husband, the child is at increased risk for asthma and other serious problems," says Norman Edelman, the executive vice president and chief medical officer of the American Lung Association. "Of course, if the mother smokes, the risks are much greater and also include prematurity and small birth weight," he adds.