Avoiding Hazards During Pregnancy

Many activities that are normally harmless may pose risks when you're pregnant Cleaning out the eat's litter box, coming in contact with harmful chemicals at work, passive smoking while socializing, or having vaccinations for traveling all may affect the development of your unborn baby, and it's wise to take precautions.

At Home

Although few of us can move to a perfect environment while pregnant, you can do your best to avoid some risks, such as handling raw meat, touching other people's pets and cleaning litter boxes, breathing in exhaust gases from cars, and working with pesticides in the yard. Avoid alcohol, coffee, and teas containing caffeine as far as possible. Herbal teas are generally safe (but don't drink raspberry-leaf tea, which is said to trigger contractions). Avoid pesticides by choosing organic herbal teas.

Harmful chemicals Try not to use aerosol spray products at home-you can get alternatives. Although modern aerosols contain halogenated hydrocarbons (rather than CFCs), which have not been shown to harm fetus or mother, my feeling is that we're all exposed to so many invisible sources of potentially harmful chemicals, and it's wise to take every possible precaution during pregnancy.

Avoid substances that give off vapors, such as glue and gasoline. These may be toxic and should never be inhaled, whether you're pregnant or not. Read the label of any material you use, and don't handle any that could be harmful. Some common examples are cleaning fluids, contact cement, creosote, volatile paint, lacquers, thinners, some glues, and oven cleaner. Coloring or perming your hair is probably safe, but I'd suggest waiting until after the first three months, when the most crucial organs in your baby's body have formed.

Hot baths It seems that saunas and hot whirlpools can be involved in fetal abnormalities, particularly those of the baby's nervous system, in exactly the same way as fever. When your body is subjected to extreme heat over a lengthy period, you can become overheated, which may affect your baby. Don't use saunas and whirlpools, especially in the first trimester, and take warm, rather than hot, baths.

Television rays Rays have not been shown to form ionizing radiation. It won't do you any harm to sit within several feet of the screen, but do make sure you're sitting comfortably.

Immunizations Because your entire immune system is changing under the influence of your pregnancy and may be weakened, you can have unpredictable responses to immunizations. If you've been exposed to infectious diseases or if you have to travel somewhere that requires immunizations, talk to your doctor. In general, vaccinations that are prepared using live viruses­including measles, rubella (German measles), mumps, and yellow fever vaccinations-are not given. All pregnant women should receive the flu vaccine.

At Work

When you find out that you're pregnant, you may have worries about your job: How safe is my workplace? Will the demands of my job put my pregnancy at risk? How long can I go on working? If your job is strenuous, involving a lot of standing, walking, lifting, or climbing, it may be hard for you to get enough rest during your pregnancy, and you may get very tired. Your doctor may suggest that you reduce your working hours, transfer to less strenuous work, or stop working several weeks before your EDD.

In all circumstances, pregnant women must avoid doing anything that exposes them to physical danger, including some police work, motorcycle racing, and so on.

Your doctor may also suggest that it's safest for you to stop working if you have certain diseases, such as a heart condition; if you have a history of more than one premature baby or miscarriage; or if you're expecting more than one baby. Women who are suffering from preeclampsia or placenta previa will be also be advised to stop work.

At work, watch out for anything that could be potentially harmful and make sure your employer transfers you to a hazard­free working place or job. Especially avoid:

• Chemicals used in manufacturing and other industries-for example, lead, mercury, vinyl chloride, dry-cleaning fluids, paint fumes, and solvents
• Animals, which present a risk of toxoplasmosis
• Exposure to infectious diseases, especially childhood rashes
• Exposure to toxic wastes of any kind
• Exposure to cigarette smoke (passive smoking), which can happen in public places and offices that don't have smoking restrictions
• Unacceptable levels of ionizing radiation. It's generally accepted that day-to-day exposure to ultraviolet or infrared radiation given off by equipment such as printers, photocopiers, and computer screens is not dangerous to you or your baby. But just to be extra-careful, if you make photocopies every day, it's a good idea to keep the top of the photocopier closed when the machine is copying.

Otherwise, if you're a healthy woman, with a normal pregnancy and working in a job with no hazards greater than those you meet in everyday life, you can usually work until close to your expected delivery date.

Socializing

Infections are caught from people we come in contact with in our daily life. Although you don't want to become a hermit when you're pregnant, or wear a surgical mask when talking to people, it does pay to be cautious-especially around children (see column, left) or adults who are running a temperature.

Colds and flu won't harm your baby, but do your best to avoid fevers. If your temperature is very high, ask your doctor what medications are safe to take-aspirin is not usually recommended in pregnancy except for certain conditions. You can also try using a damp sponge and a fan to cool your skin down. Don't take cold or flu medicines that contain antihistamines unless your doctor says it's okay. There's some evidence that particularly virulent flu viruses can cause miscarnage. 

Traveling

There's no evidence that travel brings on labor or leads to miscarriage or any other complication of pregnancy. It is wise, though, to be extra-careful about travel if you've miscarried before or have a history of premature labor. Ask your doctor for the name of an obstetrician in the area you're visiting and, in the last trimester, limit yourself to trips within easy reach of home.

Trains Reserve a seat in advance if possible, and on longer trips, make sure you don't sit next to the dining car, since the smell may make you feel nauseous. Eat lightly to lessen the risk of travel sickness. Don't lean on, or stand close to, train doors, since they have been known to fly open (this obviously applies even when you're not pregnant).

Cars Traveling by car can be exhausting, so limit your trips. Stop at regular intervals so you can take a short walk to keep your circulation going. Always fasten your seat belt, but buckle it low, across your pelvis, and use the shoulder harness. Keep driving as long as you're comfortable behind the wheel, but you must stop as soon as you begin to feel at all cramped. This may seem obvious, but don't drive yourself to the hospital if you're in labor.

Air travel Traveling by plane isn't a good idea after your seventh month, because of pressure changes in the cabin. If you must fly at this time, ask the airline if they'll need to see a doctor's letter before letting you on the plane. If you sit over the wings or toward the front of the plane, you'll feel less of the plane's motion. Don't fly in small private planes with unpressurized cabins.

While flying, eat lightly because pregnancy makes you more prone to motion sickness. Make sure you empty your bladder before you board in case there's a delay in taking off, or the seat­belt sign stays on for a long time. When fastening your seat belt, make sure you buckle it low on your hips. It's best to avoid having any carbonated drinks, which can cause gas. To keep your legs from developing edema (accumulation of fluid), take frequent walks around the plane.

Foreign travel Always follow the guidelines I've given to protect against listeria and other food-related diseases. Drink bottled water when in doubt.

Ask your doctor about immunizations you may need for travel to some destinations (typhoid fever vaccinations, for example, could harm your baby). Even if you've been exposed or are in a typhoid epidemic, the bad effects of the live vaccine will have to be weighed against the risk to your baby. You should refuse to have a yellow fever vaccination unless you've had direct exposure. You may need rabies and tetanus vaccinations, particularly if you've had any risk of exposure. Chloroquine may be used for malaria, but only if you're going to an endemic area. The polio vaccine may e given during pregnancy if you are not already immune.