Exposure to hazardous chemicals, cosmetics, and radiation

Chemical exposure

Take care to protect your developing fetus from dangerous substances during your pregnancy:

• Fumes from pesticides, household cleaners, and paint can be harmful to a developing fetus, especially in the first trimester. While pregnant, use chemical-free cleaning alternatives. If you must use chemical cleaners, wear gloves, ventilate the area, and avoid inhaling fumes.
• Exposure to lead can cause miscarriage or damage the fetal nervous system.¹ A pregnant woman who is exposed to lead can also pass it to her fetus through the placenta. For more information, see the topic Lead Poisoning.
• Exposure to mercury can cause mild to severe nervous system damage. Before and during pregnancy and breast-feeding, take measures to avoid fish that may contain mercury, such as shark, swordfish, and king mackerel.²
• Nail polish contains a number of hazardous chemicals. Although occasional use is unlikely to affect a developing fetus, heavy exposure to nail polish has been linked to an increased risk of early pregnancy loss among cosmetologists.¹

Hair dyes do not appear to have dangerous fetal effects. Animal studies as well as a study involving hairstylists have reported no increase in birth defects or miscarriage.¹

Hair permanents are generally discouraged during the first trimester. Because hair permanent chemicals haven't been proven or disproven by research to be harmful to a fetus, it's best to be cautious.

Radiation exposure: X-rays, air travel, and electrical appliances

A single diagnostic X-ray , such as a dental X-ray, does not harm your fetus.³ However, it's still a good idea to avoid unnecessary X-rays. If an X-ray is necessary, be sure to tell the technician that you are pregnant. Many X-rays can be delayed until after pregnancy. If X-rays are necessary, they can be performed with a lead apron that shields your abdomen.

If you travel by plane frequently as an airline pilot, flight attendant, air marshal, or courier or on business, it is possible for you to exceed the cosmic radiation limit considered safe during pregnancy (1 millisievert, or mSv). Although the occasional flight doesn't pose a risk, frequent low-altitude domestic flights or several high-altitude international flights may increase a fetus's risk of developing cancer during childhood. You can track your exposure using software from the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), available online at http://jag.cami.jccbi.gov/cariprofile.asp.⁴

The radiation from electrical appliances such as televisions, computers, or electric blankets (electromagnetic radiation) has not been shown to cause birth defects. Electric blankets or water bed heaters can be used to warm the bed, but it is a good idea to turn them off when you get into bed so that you don't become overheated. Overheating during pregnancy has been linked to pregnancy loss and birth defects.¹

Citations

1. Gardella JR, Hill JA III (2000). Environmental toxins associated with recurrent pregnancy loss. Seminars in Reproductive Medicine, 18(4): 407–424.

2. U.S. Food and Drug Administration (2004). What you need to know about mercury in fish and shellfish: 2004 EPA and FDA advice for women who might become pregnant, women who are pregnant, nursing mothers, young children. Available online: http://www.epa.gov/ost/fishadvice/advice.html.

3. Cunningham FG, et al. (2005). General considerations and maternal evaluation. In Williams Obstetrics, 22nd ed., pp. 973–986. New York: McGraw-Hill.

4. Barish RJ (2004). In-flight radiation exposure during pregnancy. Obstetrics and Gynecology, 103(6): 1326–1330.