If you're feeling queasy, click here to find 15 ways to cope with morning sickness. If you're pregnant and the mosquitoes seem to love you more than ever, it's not just your imagination. Mosquitoes are especially drawn to expectant moms, according to a recent study published in The Lancet . Lindsay says mosquitoes are attracted to carbon dioxide, and pregnant women tend to take more frequent breaths than other women do. This raises serious health issues in some parts of the world because the Anopheles mosquito carries malaria, which attacks human red blood cells.
Malaria also can cause stillbirths, low birth weight, and early infant death.
The most effective mosquito repellents contain the chemical DEET, but most experts recommend that pregnant women steer clear of DEET or apply products containing DEET very sparingly. For more details on DEET and pregnancy, see what our expert says . American Lung Association fact sheets show the biggest increase in cases among children, with pediatric asthma rates rising 72.3 percent in the United States between 1982 and 1994. The Times reports that a new study based on data from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and Prevention magazine found that 27 states have no asthma monitoring program at all. It also found that more than 40 states can't easily determine how many people get emergency care for asthma and whether they have access to quality treatment.