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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

Original poster

To wear antipollution mask while driving?

33 replies

PencilTroll · 03/08/2018 19:21

I have to drive for work, c. 3 hours per day picking up and dropping off around a busy polluted city, lots of sitting in traffic and getting in and out.
I have to have the windows down as my aircon is faulty and no money for a new vehicle.
I found out I'm pregnant a couple of weeks ago.
I am aware of a possible link between air pollution and autism / asd...
Aibu to drive around with a cycling type face mask on, will I look nuts? Should I even care about what people think? What would you do?
I really don't want to risk my baby's health and want to give it the best chance I can.

OP posts:
Strawberry89 · 03/08/2018 19:22

Really? Hmm

Sirzy · 03/08/2018 19:22

I am intrigued to this link....

OP posts:
Sirzy · 03/08/2018 19:26

IM not clicking the link but as the parent of an autisic child I would suggest ignoring anything that is posted on that dangerous site

porkinmyteeth · 03/08/2018 19:26

My niece is autistic and we live in the most green, unpolluted tiny village on the south coast. So I think it's bollox

Original poster
PencilTroll · 03/08/2018 19:30

I'm not asking you whether you believe it or not, I do and it can't hurt to be cautious.
I was asking about the mask.
I am not saying 100% of autism is caused by pollution ffs.

OP posts:
Sirzy · 03/08/2018 19:30

Well if you believe everything you read on the internet without even trying to check the validity you won’t breath ever just incase it causes a problem Hmm

Original poster
PencilTroll · 03/08/2018 19:35

www.bbc.co.uk/news/health-30521255

Prof Frank Kelly, the director of the environmental research group at King's College London, told the BBC: "I think if it was this study by itself I wouldn't take much notice, but it's now the fifth that has come to the same conclusion.

"It is biologically plausible, the placenta is there to ensure the foetus has optimal supply of nutrients, but if chemicals are entering the mother's body then the foetus will have access to those too.

For God's sake it's a scientific study.

Is a bbc link more acceptable?

OP posts:
HarrietSchulenberg · 03/08/2018 19:36

In answer to your question, yes, you will look daft. Only you know if you care about this. If you're that concerned about pollution, you'll have to wear the mask all the time, including at home. Are you going to make your baby wear a mask when he/she is born?

All of these are your choices but I think your information is being skewed by the websites you're choosing to read.

AwkwardAsAllGetout · 03/08/2018 19:37

Autism speaks is a fucking sordid little organisation. I have an asd child op. Lived in the countryside for my whole pregnancy, and I didn’t drive.

Original poster
PencilTroll · 03/08/2018 19:38

Why would I have to wear the mask at home, I live in the countryside.
I'm not going to sit the baby in the car driving round in polluting traffic for hours every day am I.
It's not an unreasonable question.

OP posts:
Flatearthersphere · 03/08/2018 19:41

Maybe base your actions on proper studies that have been carried out in a way that eliminates bias. Those studies are not reliable. And yes wearing a mask is weird.

Original poster
PencilTroll · 03/08/2018 19:43

Flatearthsphere
Can you please tell me more, is this study discredited? It has been reported widely, I just picked the first link at random

OP posts:
Original poster
PencilTroll · 03/08/2018 19:46

In fact don't worry folks, I had no idea I'd elicit such aggressive responses just asking a question. I'll leave you to rip into some other poor fucker.

OP posts:
onyourmarks2017 · 03/08/2018 19:48

I was advised to do this (private obsgyn advice) because DH had a silly roofless sportcar and we lived in London.

Flatearthersphere · 03/08/2018 19:52

The funding is dodgy, nested case control analysis isn't great, the design looks shit.

Apehouse · 03/08/2018 20:19

Traffic fumes are bad for everyone and more so for unborn babies. In that sense YANBU. But it is hard to get enough oxygen while wearing the mask properly, so is it worth the trouble?

SpecialBond · 03/08/2018 20:21

You're not being ripped into..

Wear a mask if you want. You don't need to and you'll look ridiculous but knock yourself out.

specialsubject · 03/08/2018 20:37

aibu is not the place for people who only want one answer.

you could get the aircon fixed, but at lower than 50mph it uses more fuel than having the windows open.

PeterPiperPickedSeaShells · 03/08/2018 20:44

You will look ridiculous driving in a mask, people will assume you are a bank robber

Bumdishcloths · 03/08/2018 20:47

Are you the same person who asked a few weeks ago about cigarette smoke drifting into the car from the car in front? Even if you're not, yes a mask would look ridiculous and unless you're living in a particularly smoggy country mostly unnecessary. Just keep the windows shut.

porkinmyteeth · 03/08/2018 20:50

Ok, so if you believe it's true then wear your mask. Why are you asking, just wear it?

DarkSuns3t543 · 04/08/2018 17:16

I've traveled to some other countries and it's common to see people wearing face masks in cities on mopeds, walking around, like Vietnam. Also seen people wearing face masks on aeroplanes.

Chocolatecoffeeaddict · 04/08/2018 17:17

Go ahead but only if you won't mind people thinking you're strange.

Furx · 04/08/2018 17:18

The trouble is, the mask has to fit absolutely perfectly for it to do any good. And most don’t.

And you need to ensure that is will filter out the stuff you need it to filter out. All masks don’t filter all things.

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