Association between gestational hair dye use and allergies at 3 years old: the Japan environment and Children's study

• Published in: Environmental research Vol. 201; p. 111530
• Main Authors: Kojima, Reiji, Shinohara, Ryoji, Horiuchi, Sayaka, Otawa, Sanae, Yokomichi, Hiroshi, Akiyama, Yuka, Ooka, Tadao, Miyake, Kunio, Yamagata, Zentaro
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Elsevier Inc 01.10.2021
• Subjects: Allergic disease; Child; Hair dye; Pregnancy; Pregnancy; OR; PPD; Hair dye; CI; Allergic disease; JECS; Child; BMI
• ISSN: 0013-9351; 1096-0953
• DOI: 10.1016/j.envres.2021.111530

Hair dye use frequently induces allergic contact dermatitis, and on rare occasions induces immunoglobulin E-mediated immediate urticaria, anaphylaxis, and asthma. The effects of hair dye use during pregnancy on offspring have been studied for carcinogenicity, but not for development of allergies. This study aimed to assess the association between hair dye use during pregnancy and allergic disease in children at 3 years old. Data of 77,303 participants from the Japan Environment and Children's Study, which is a prospective birth cohort recruited from January 2011 to March 2014, were used. We examined the associations between using hair dye during pregnancy and allergic diseases (food allergy, asthma, atopic dermatitis and allergic rhinitis) in children after adjustment for covariates by multivariable logistic regression. Among mothers who were exposed to hair dye during pregnancy, 50.0% were exposed in hair salons, 21.3% had home use, and 9.5% had occupational exposure. The percentages of doctor-diagnosed allergies at 3 years old were 6.3% for food allergies, 7.7% for asthma, 7.3% for atopic dermatitis, and 4.6% for allergic rhinitis. In univariable analyses, hair dye use at home and occupational exposure was significantly associated with asthma respectively (odds ratio [OR] 1.15, 95% CI 1.07–1.24 for at home; OR 1.18, 95% CI 1.08–1.28 for occupational exposure). Hair dye use at home were significantly associated with doctor-diagnosed allergic rhinitis at 3 years old (OR 1.12, 95% CI 1.02–1.22). After adjustment for covariates, these associations for asthma decreased and were no longer significant (aOR 1.06, 95% CI 0.98–1.14 for at home; aOR 1.09, 95% CI 1.00–1.20 for occupational exposure, p = 0.057), also for allergic rhinitis (aOR 1.07, 95% CI 0.97–1.19). Doctor-diagnosed allergic rhinitis at 3 years old was significantly associated with hair dye use at home in the most frequent use group (aOR for quite often versus never 1.78, 95% CI 1.22–2.60). Both home and occupation use of hair dye during pregnancy showed a trend of increased odds of allergic rhinitis and asthma in offspring at 3 years. However, the only association that reached significance was in frequency of use analyses between the highest frequency of home hair dye users and allergic rhinitis. •Association between maternal hair dye use and allergies at 3 years old was assessed.•Data of 77,303 participants from a prospective birth cohort was analyzed.•Frequent home hair dye use was associated with allergic rhinitis in children.•Occupational and home hair dye use was non-significantly associated with allergies.