What Pregnant Women Should Avoid and Pregnancy Paranoia

Filed in archive Is it Safe...? on August 25, 2008

Photo courtesy of iStockphoto, Frank Oppermann

Don't do this, don't do that. Avoid this, skip that. The list of things that are supposed to be unsafe for pregnant women gets longer and longer. It must be a major miracle that we were all born alive and well, because I'm sure our mothers never got to know of these things. Here's a fun, but informative article from the NY Times that puts pregnancy paranoia into perspective:

Tanning spray and acrylic-nail preparations? Might have toxic chemicals. (They might, doctors said. Probably not enough to harm a fetus, however.) Chocolate mousse, depending on how it is prepared, might have uncooked egg whites. (Which can cause food poisoning, so some doctors say to avoid the dessert.) Manicures and bikini waxes might cause infections. (Possible, experts say, but doubtful.) Hot tubs and saunas might raise body temperature to dangerous levels, harming the embryo or fetus. (Ditto.)

Mobile phones, computers and television sets could emit harmful electromagnetic radiation. (Not true, according to the latest research.) Underwire bras might damage milk ducts, depriving a baby of proper nutrition. (No doctor interviewed for this article had heard of such a thing.)

How much of these pose real danger? How much is hype and pure paranoia? Read the entire article here.