Acupuncture and massage
While some complementary therapies, such as acupuncture and massage, are felt to be safe during pregnancy there is limited evidence that shows how effective they are. However, there are still times during pregnancy when they may not be safe. For example, your abdomen should not be massaged during the first three months of pregnancy.
It is generally safe to have acupuncture when you are pregnant and you should look for a qualified acupuncturist who has extensive training and experience with pregnant women. Let your acupuncturist know if you are pregnant because certain acupuncture points cannot be used safely during pregnancy.
If you’re considering using a complementary therapy, it’s important to tell your doctor or midwife about what treatment you’re considering. If you then decide to use a complementary therapy, you should always consult a qualified practitioner practitioner who is registered with APHRA.
Cats
Toxoplasmosis is a common infection that occurs in most birds and mammals, including humans. The parasite called ‘Toxoplasma gondii’ (T. gondii) can be found in cat faeces or soil or cat litter that is contaminated with infected cat faeces.
The risk of getting toxoplasmosis when you’re pregnant is very low. If you get toxoplasmosis in the early stages of pregnancy, the risk of miscarriage is increased and it can cause blindness and brain damage in an unborn baby.
Signs of toxoplasmosis include mild flu-like symptoms, such as high temperature, sore throat and aching muscles. However, in most cases, toxoplasmosis doesn’t cause any symptoms.
Pregnant women are not routinely screened for toxoplasmosis. It’s therefore important that you know how to prevent infection.
For more information see our page on toxoplasmosis.
Cleaning products
Check the labels of these products to make sure there are no safety warnings for pregnant women. If the labels make a product sound very toxic, it may be better to avoid using it at this time. If you use cleaning products, glues, paint or any other household chemicals, follow the safety directions on the label. Make sure there’s plenty of fresh air.
Some moth balls and toilet deodorant cakes contain a substance called naphthalene. Exposure to very large amounts of naphthalene can cause damage to blood cells, leading to a condition called haemolytic anaemia. Some of the symptoms that may occur after exposure to large quantities of naphthalene are fatigue, loss of appetite, nausea, vomiting, and diarrhoea. Newborn babies are particularly at risk of damaging their blood cells if they are exposed to naphthalene.
Exercise
It’s great to be active and stay fit while you’re pregnant, but check with your midwife or doctor first to make sure there are no health problems to prevent you from exercising. If there are no problems, try to do 30 minutes of moderate exercise, like walking or swimming, on most days of the week.
Regular exercise can:
- help you stay at a healthy weight
- help you relax
- help make you stronger and fitter – good for coping with pregnancy, labour and being a parent
- help decrease discomforts like back pain and varicose veins that affect some pregnant women.
For more information see our page on exercise.
Fake tan
Fake tanning lotions and sprays are a popular and safer alternative to spending time in the sun to get a tan.
The active ingredient in fake tan is dihydroxyacetone (DHA). It is a non-toxic substance that reacts with cells in the outermost layer of the skin and produces a brown pigment (colour) called melanoidin. The outer skin cells are already dead, and are shed as the skin constantly renews itself. This is why fake tan needs to be regularly re-applied to maintain the colour. The DHA doesn’t go beyond the outer layer of skin and therefore isn’t absorbed into the body.
Although there are no known dangers of using tanning lotions, they can sometimes cause an allergic reaction. For this reason, it’s advisable not to use fake tan during pregnancy, as changes in hormone levels can make the skin more sensitive than normal. If you do use fake tan, always test the product on a small area of skin first to see if you have a reaction.
Although some fake tans contain sun protection, the SPF (sun protection factor) is usually very low. Increased skin sensitivity when pregnant can mean you’re more likely to burn, so use a high protection cream (minimum 15) and stay out of the sun as much as possible.
Tanning pills that contain high amounts of betacarotene and/or a chemical called canthaxanthin have been linked with dangerous side effects, including damage to the eyes and the liver. Injections containing melanotan are not approved by the Therapeutic Goods Administration for tanning and it is classified as a prescription-only medicine. Both of these forms of tanning should not be used by anyone.
Food
There are some foods you should not eat when you’re pregnant because they might make you ill or harm your baby. Make sure you know the important facts about which foods you should avoid or take extra care with when you’re pregnant. The best foods to eat are freshly cooked or freshly prepared food.
For more information see our page on foods to avoid.
Alcohol
There is no safe level of alcohol that you can have during your pregnancy. Whether you are planning a pregnancy, already pregnant or breastfeeding, not drinking is the safest option as alcohol can harm your unborn baby.
Hair dye
Most research, although limited, shows that it’s safe to colour your hair while pregnant. Some studies have found that very high doses of the chemicals in hair dyes may cause harm. However, these doses are massive compared to the very low amount of chemicals that a woman colouring her hair is exposed to.
Many women decide to wait to dye their hair until after the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, when the risk of chemical substances harming the baby is much lower. If you’re colouring your hair yourself, you can reduce the risk further by making sure that you:
- wear gloves,
- leave the dye on for the minimum time, and
- work in a well-ventilated room.
Highlighting your hair, by putting the dye only onto strands of hair, also reduces any risk. The chemicals used are only absorbed by your hair, and not by your scalp or bloodstream.
Semi-permanent pure vegetable dyes, such as henna, are a safe alternative.
Do remember that pregnancy can affect your hair’s normal condition. For example, your hair may:
- react differently to colouring or perming than it usually does, and
- become more or less absorbent, frizzy or unpredictable.
It’s always a good idea to do a strand test first, using the hair dye or treatment that you intend to use. Speak to your hairdresser for advice.
Breastfeeding
Information about hair treatments while breastfeeding is limited. However, it’s very unlikely that a significant amount of the chemicals used in hair dyes will be passed on through your breast milk. This is because very little enters your bloodstream. In the past, many women have used hair treatments while breastfeeding, with no known negative results.
Painting
The risk of fumes from modern household paints harming your baby is low. But it’s impossible to know exactly how small the risk is. This is because it’s very difficult to measure the substances and chemicals your body absorbs during activities such as painting.
Very little research has been carried out into the effects of paint fumes on unborn babies. However, the few studies carried out show that the risk is extremely low.
Renovating houses can increase your exposure to lead. If your house was built before 1971 (when lead-based paint was still available), get advice before doing anything that disturbs the paint. Disturbing lead-based paint can spread lead dust into the air and around the house. It’s important that pregnant women and children aren’t around during renovations that disturb lead-based paint.
Any small risk there is to your baby is greatest during your first trimester. This is because your baby’s organs start to develop during the first trimester. Any harmful fumes or chemicals at this stage could affect your baby more severely.
Therefore, as a precaution it’s best to avoid painting and decorating until at least the 14th week of your pregnancy.
Sauna or jacuzzi
There is little research on using saunas, jacuzzis and similar heated leisure facilities during pregnancy. However, it’s advisable to avoid them because of the risks of overheating, dehydration and fainting.
During pregnancy you’re likely to feel warmer than normal. This is due to hormonal changes and an increase in blood supply to the skin. These hormonal changes can also often make pregnant women feel faint.
Therefore, you may wish to avoid activities that make you hotter.
If you overheat, more blood flows close to your skin, to help cool your body by sweating. This means less blood flows to your internal organs such as your brain. If this happens, your brain may not get enough blood and, therefore, oxygen. This can make you feel faint.
When you’re pregnant, the hormonal changes in your body can make you feel faint more often. You may wish to avoid situations where you could get too hot, such as sitting in a jacuzzi or steam room.
When you use a sauna, jacuzzi, hot tub, steam bath or steam room, your body cannot lose heat effectively by sweating. Your body’s core temperature therefore rises. It’s possible that a significant rise in your core temperature may affect your unborn baby’s development, particularly in the first 12 weeks of the pregnancy.
Take care when you get out of a hot bath or stand up quickly, as these can also make you feel faint.
Sunbeds
Pregnant women often find that their skin is more sensitive than usual. If you use a sunbed when you’re pregnant, your skin may therefore be more likely to burn.
Sunbeds give out ultraviolet (UV) rays, the same type of harmful radiation found in sunlight. Getting a tan using a sunbed is not safer than tanning in the sun. In some cases, sunbed use can be more harmful. Many sunbeds give out greater doses of UV rays than the midday Mediterranean sun.
Prolonged exposure to UV rays increases your risk of developing skin cancer including malignant melanoma, the most serious form of skin cancer.
UV rays can cause your skin to burn and prematurely age it. UV rays can also damage your eyes by causing problems such as irritation, conjunctivitis or cataracts, particularly if you don’t wear goggles.
Most states and territories of Australia have banned commercial tanning.
X-rays
If possible, you should avoid having an X-ray while you’re pregnant. Your healthcare professional will assess whether your treatment can wait until you’ve had your baby. For example, they will assess whether the benefits of treatment outweigh the low risk of having an X-ray. They may also consider using another imaging method instead, such as an ultrasound scan.
The risk from x-ray radiation is related to the stage of pregnancy at which the exposure occurs and the dosage amount that reaches the baby. There is slight risk of birth defects and physical and mental development problems.
However, repeated exposure to radiation can damage the body’s cells, which can increase the risk of cancer developing. This is why the dose of radiation used in an X-ray is always as low as possible. X-rays during pregnancy carry a very small risk of exposing the unborn baby to radiation, which could cause cancer to develop during his or her childhood.
To find out more, visit Inside Radiology - Radiation Risk of Medical Imaging During Pregnancy.
Dental X-ray
Make sure your dentist knows that you’re pregnant. If you need a dental X-ray, your dentist will usually wait until you’ve had the baby, even though most dental X-rays don’t affect the abdomen or pelvic area.
Other Radiology Tests
It is vital you tell your own doctor or specialist if you are or may be pregnant because some procedures can affect the foetus (unborn baby). Your doctor or specialist will refer you for an appropriate radiology procedure if it is safe to do so. You must also inform the hospital or radiology practice when you make the appointment and the medical staff performing the procedure if you are or may be pregnant.
To find out more, visit visit Inside Radiology - Radiation Risk of Medical Imaging During Pregnancy.
Breastfeeding
It is very important that you tell your doctor or specialist if you are breastfeeding. Some procedures can involve a radioactive substance being injected into your vein that will take a few days to flush out of your body through your urine. While it is in your body a very small amount of radioactive substance can be passed on to your child through the breast milk. Your doctor or specialist and staff where you are having the procedure will give you specific instructions, such as to express and throw away breast milk for a short time after having the scan, so that your child is not exposed to the radioactive substance unnecessarily.
Sources: , Australian Breastfeeding Association(Radiology and breastfeeding) Cancer Council (Skin cancer) , Inside Radiology(Radiation risk of medical imaging during breastfeeding)
No comments:
Post a Comment