Mold Exposure in the Perinatal Period: What Birth Workers Should Know
It’s not unusual for families to bring up mold when you’re working with them during pregnancy or postpartum. Sometimes they’ve heard that mold causes almost every symptom under the sun. Other times they’ve had recent water damage at home and are legitimately worried about their baby’s health. As a birth worker, you don’t need to be an environmental health expert, but you do play an important role in helping families sort fact from fear.
Mold Is Everywhere
Fungi—including molds—are everywhere. We breathe in spores daily, eat foods that contain fungal byproducts (bread, cheese, soy sauce, fermented products), and even share space with fungi that live harmlessly on our skin and in our guts. Mold is not an invader from outside life—it’s part of the ecosystem we live in.
What matters is amount and context. Everyday exposure is unavoidable and usually harmless. The concerns arise when:
Indoor environments trap excess moisture (from leaks, flooding, or poor ventilation).
Sensitive individuals, especially those with asthma or allergies, react more strongly.
Infants and pregnant people—whose lungs or immune systems are more vulnerable—are exposed to unusually high levels.
Who Is More Vulnerable?
During pregnancy and early infancy, certain groups are more susceptible to mold-related issues:
Pregnant people: Research does not show mold exposure directly causes birth defects. However, high exposure to damp or moldy housing can increase respiratory infections or worsen underlying asthma. Maternal asthma that is poorly controlled during pregnancy can raise risks for both mother and baby.
Newborns and infants: Their airways are narrower, their immune systems less mature, and they breathe faster than adults. This means irritants like mold spores or musty air can cause wheezing, coughing, or congestion more easily.
Children with allergies or asthma: Mold doesn’t cause asthma, but it is a known “trigger” that can worsen attacks. Families with children in this category should be especially attentive to indoor air quality.
Sorting Fact from Fear: Mold “Toxicity” Claims
In recent years, some clinics and online wellness spaces have promoted the idea of “mold toxicity” as the root of nearly any unexplained symptom—brain fog, fatigue, rashes, mood swings, infertility, and more. While mold exposure can cause real illness, it’s important to separate hype from what’s scientifically supported.
Urine mycotoxin testing is not considered reliable for diagnosing illness. Mycotoxins in urine mostly reflect dietary exposure, and healthy people often have detectable levels without being sick.
Hair and blood tests advertised for mold “toxicity” are likewise not validated.
What Testing Is Reliable?
Families sometimes feel stuck between dismissive advice (“it’s nothing”) and overblown claims (“it causes everything”). Here’s what actually works when evaluating mold:
Home inspection by a certified professional: The gold standard is to assess the living environment itself, since illness from mold exposure comes from inhalation of spores in damp, enclosed spaces. Reliable inspectors check for visible mold, signs of water damage, and measure moisture and humidity levels.
Air or surface sampling (when appropriate): Professionals may collect spore trap samples or swabs to identify what types of mold are present. These results are most useful when linked to a clear visual inspection, not done in isolation.
Medical evaluation of symptoms: If a pregnant individual or child has ongoing cough, wheeze, or allergic symptoms, a healthcare provider may use standard tools (lung function testing, allergy testing, chest imaging) to see whether mold exposure is a likely contributor.
What’s not reliable: stand-alone urine, blood, or hair “mold panels.” These do not help pinpoint exposure or illness and often lead to unnecessary anxiety and expense.
What Symptoms Are Truly Concerning?
While most people coexist with mold just fine, there are situations where symptoms should raise concern:
For pregnant individuals: worsening or difficult-to-control asthma, chronic cough, wheezing, sinus infections that don’t improve.
For infants: persistent wheezing, rapid breathing, recurrent pneumonia or bronchitis, worsening eczema in a damp environment.
For older children: asthma that flares whenever they’re indoors, frequent nighttime coughing, or allergy symptoms that improve noticeably when away from home.
In rare cases, people with severely weakened immune systems (such as those on chemotherapy or high-dose steroids) can develop invasive fungal infections. This is not the case for healthy pregnant people or babies, but it’s worth noting for families with medically fragile members.
Supporting Families with Reliable Steps
When families bring mold worries to you, here are practical ways you can support them:
Normalize concerns. Families want to create the safest possible environment for their newborn—it’s natural to worry about toxins. You can validate their concern without feeding alarm.
Encourage medical care for symptoms. If a pregnant person has worsening asthma or a baby has repeated wheezing, a healthcare provider should evaluate them.
Focus on the environment. The most effective action is fixing leaks, reducing humidity, improving ventilation, and safely cleaning small visible mold. For large infestations, professional remediation may be needed.
Discourage unsafe “detoxes.” Some programs marketed for “mold detox” include herbs, supplements, or even antifungal drugs that are unsafe in pregnancy or lactation. Steer families back to evidence-based approaches.
Your Role as a Birth Worker
Birth workers don’t diagnose or treat mold-related illness, but you are often the first trusted professional families turn to with their fears. Your calm, balanced guidance helps them avoid unnecessary panic while staying alert to real health concerns.
