Prenatal Assessment of Environmental Risk (PAER)- In the Home

In the Home

Help reduce your contact with chemicals during pregnancy

• Ask people not to use tobacco products in your home. If you use tobacco products, talk to your doctor about ways to quit. Tobacco products, including e-cigarettes or vapes, have harmful chemicals.
• Ask people to take off their shoes when they come into your home. That way, they won’t track chemicals in from outside.
• Ask a trusted adult who’s not pregnant to dust windowsills and shelves with a damp cloth. Dust may have lead or other harmful chemicals in it.
• Wash fruits and vegetables for 15 to 30 seconds before you eat or cook with them. Just use running water — not soap, dishwashing liquid, bleach, or other cleaning products.
• Keep food and trash in sealed containers. This will help keep bugs, mice, and other pests away so you won’t need to use pesticides.

Learn more ways to help reduce your contact with chemicals while you're pregnant.