There are no specific ways to prevent myeloid malignancies in children. Avoidance of controllable risk factors offers the only possibility of preventing the disease. Exposure to smoking and alcohol use before birth is the biggest controllable factor for acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Pregnant women should not smoke and should limit their exposure to second-hand smoke. Also, they should not use alcohol during their pregnancy.

Avoiding the chemical benzene can also reduce a child’s risk of developing the disease.   

Many experts agree, however, that occupational and environmental chemicals are responsible for only a small number of leukemia and myelodysplastic syndrome cases. 

Although chemotherapy and radiation therapy for other cancers can cause secondary myeloid malignancies, the life-saving benefits of these treatments should be carefully weighed against the small risk of developing leukemia later in life.