Pregnancy and occupational hazards

Exposure to certain chemicals during pregnancy can lead to birth defects, pregnancy complications, abnormal fetal growth and health problems later in life. The amount of the chemical, how long you were exposed, and when during your pregnancy you were exposed all play a role in the outcome. Certain physical hazards can also affect pregnancy, such as standing for long periods of time, working long hours, engaging in strenuous physical activity, and exposure to heat, noise and vibration.


Lead
Lead is the most common occupational hazard in pregnancy. You may inhale lead in contaminated air or ingest it through contaminated drinking water, food or soil. Lead can be toxic, especially to children and unborn babies. If you're exposed to lead during pregnancy, your baby may develop neurological problems, not grow well, or be born prematurely. You may also have a higher risk of miscarriage or stillbirth.
Occupational sources of lead may include:

lead smelting
welding or soldering
painting automobiles or aircraft
making ceramics or pottery
printing
manufacturing stained glass, batteries, ammunition or textiles
working in a firing range
working with bridge, tunnel or elevated highway construction
working on heavily traveled roads, in toll booths or other locations where you may be exposed to vehicle exhaust
Other sources of lead include:

Paint: Newer paints are lead-free, but older paint may contain lead. If you remove old paint from a painted surface or remodel an older home, lead paint can be inhaled or ingested. It can also be carried home on the clothing of family members who do this type of work.

Soil: The soil in inner cities or near freeways may also be contaminated with lead. If you work with this soil or are in contact with someone who does, you may be exposed to lead.

Water: Sometimes, lead can seep into your water through the pipes in your home. The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) recommends having the lead content of your water tested by a competent lab. For more information on testing, call the EPA Safe Drinking Water Hotline at (800) 424-4791. Until testing is done or if you've been informed that your water contains too much lead, flush the pipes of the faucet you want to use by running cold water until the water is as cold as possible. This may take two minutes or longer. (Keep in mind this may be ineffective in high-rise buildings.)
You can use the flushed water on your plants or for other nonfood uses. Use only water from the cold faucet for drinking or cooking. After flushing your pipes, you may want to fill clean containers with water to use later in the day. Flush the pipes again anytime the faucet has not been used for six hours or more.


Other chemicals to avoid
Other chemicals to avoid during pregnancy include:
Anesthetic gasses and liquids (such as nitrous oxide, halothane, enflurane and cyclopropane)

Exposure: Used by health care workers.

Risk: Miscarriage
Arsenic

Exposure: Used to manufacture many products, such as pesticides, glass, paints, ceramics, dyes and wood preservatives, as well as to process leather. It's also a by-product of copper and lead smelting.

Risk: Miscarriage and stillbirth
Cadmium

Exposure: Released during welding. Used to manufacture many products, such as batteries, photocells, paint, soldering liquids, semiconductors, insecticides and fungicides.

Risk: Miscarriage and low birthweight
Carbon monoxide

Exposure: Produced when gas, wood, oil propane, kerosene and cigarettes are burned. Passive smoking can also be a source of exposure.

Risk: Neurological and growth deficits (With severe exposure, fetal death is possible.)
Chemotherapy medications (such as methotrexate and aminopterin)

Exposure: Used by health care workers. (Strict guidelines from the U.S. Occupational Safety and Health Administration, or OSHA, regulate the preparation, handling, administration and disposal of chemotherapy medications.)

Risk: Miscarriage, birth defects and low birthweight
Ethylene glycol ethers (such as 2-ethoxyethanol, or 2EE, and 2-methoxy-ethanol, or 2ME)

Exposure: During work with electronics and semiconductors.

Risk: Miscarriage
Ethylene oxide (EtO)

Exposure: Used to manufacture antifreeze, polyesters, films and detergent. It's also used to sterilize health care equipment and supplies and fumigate medical products, foodstuffs, museums and libraries.

Risk: Miscarriage
Formaldehyde

Exposure: Used in more than 60 types of industries and laboratories, such as leather tanning and the manufacture of paper, photographic film, textiles and plywood. Also a biological preservative.

Risk: Miscarriage
Mercury

Exposure: Used to manufacture products such as mercury vapor lamps, paint and thermometers, as well as in mining.

Risk: Neurological deficits and developmental delays
Organic solvents (such as carbon disulfide, carbon tetrachloride, styrene, toluene, benzene and xylene)

Exposure: Commonly used in the chemical industry, as well as in the manufacturing of electronics and other products.

Risk: Miscarriage, birth defects and low birthweight
Pesticides

Exposure: Occurs during manufacturing and use, such as during application or while picking vegetables and fruits.

Risk: Miscarriage and birth defects with heavy exposure
Polyvinylchloride (PVC)

Exposure: Used to manufacture plastics and resins found in some clothing, flooring, upholstery, wire insulation and food containers.

Risk: Neurological and growth deficits
Of course, this is only a partial listing of potentially harmful chemicals. Be sure to discuss all potential chemical exposure with your doctor.


Ionizing radiation
Ionizing radiation is used to make X-rays, give radiation therapy, and produce nuclear energy. Depending on the amount of exposure, ionizing radiation can be harmful to the developing fetus, especially during the first 25 weeks of gestation. People most often exposed to ionizing radiation include certain health care workers, scientists and atomic workers. It's best to avoid ionizing exposure throughout your pregnancy.
If your occupation puts you at risk, a monthly reading of your radiation exposure may be recommended. This reading is measured in rads. Based on OSHA guidelines, the limit of exposure for all workers is 1.25 rads over three months or 5 rads per year. The National Council on Radiation Protection recommends exposure to no more than 0.05 rad in any one month during pregnancy or no more than a total of 0.5 rad throughout an entire pregnancy. (For comparison, a chest X-ray would expose your baby to about 0.008 rad. If you must have a chest X-ray during pregnancy, it is important to shield your abdomen.)

Risks of excessive exposure to ionizing radiation include neurological problems, mental retardation, growth restriction, vision problems and childhood cancers.

Note: Video display terminals, color televisions and microwaves release nonionizing radiation that doesn't appear to cause any pregnancy-related risks.


Physical hazards
Various physical hazards may have an effect on pregnancy as well. For example:
Standing and working for long hours increases the risk of preterm birth and low birthweight.

Strenuous physical activity, such as heavy lifting, climbing or carrying heavy objects, also increases the risk of preterm birth and low birthweight. Strenuous physical activity also increases the risk of preeclampsia (a serious condition that usually develops after the 20th week of pregnancy).

Extreme heat that raises the core body temperature to 102°F or higher increases the risk of miscarriage and birth defects.

Vibration increases the risk of miscarriage, preterm labor and severe vomiting during pregnancy.

Prevention
Talk with your physician about possible occupational hazards. Discuss the type of job you have and the number of hours you work per week. Be ready to list any chemicals or odors to which you're routinely exposed, including how much, how long and how often you're exposed.
To learn about particular chemicals, ask your employer for OSHA-required material safety data sheets (MSDS), which discuss the safety of chemicals used at your place of employment. Keep in mind that OSHA requires employers to provide workplaces free from known hazards that are likely to cause death or serious physical harm.

If your work routinely exposes you to anything that may harm your baby, your doctor may suggest working in a safer area. If that's not possible, you may need to consider the safety of continuing to work at a particular job.

Generally, you can reduce the risk of working with or around chemicals by taking the following precautions:

Be sure your workplace has good airflow.
Use gloves, special clothing and respirators as necessary to minimize your exposure. (If no protection is available, discuss the options with your employer.)
Store chemicals in sealed containers.
Do not eat near any chemicals.
Wash your hands after contact with any chemicals and before eating or drinking anything.
If chemicals are spilled on your clothing or skin, change your clothing immediately and follow the directions in the MSDS to clean off the chemical.
Change out of your work clothing and wash your hands well with soap and water before leaving your workplace.
Do not store or wash work clothes with street clothes.
When possible, leave work clothes and accessories at work. It's a good idea to wash work clothes at work if you can.
Become informed by participating in any safety and health education programs offered by your employer.

Employee rights
For information on workplace hazards, contact:
National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health Information (NIOSH): (800) 356-4674

Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA): (800) 321-6742
The Family and Medical Leave Act (FMLA) requires employers of 50 or more employees to offer up to 12 weeks of unpaid leave upon request for the birth, adoption or foster care of a child, or for a personal health problem (such as a maternity complication) that prevents you from working safely. Consult your employer for details.

Keep in mind that a number of conditions may be disabling during pregnancy. Generally, a disability means you cannot do your job because of a physical problem. In some cases, exposure to a toxic substance that may harm your baby is considered a disability. Talk with your doctor, who will decide if your condition is disabling and give you a letter confirming eligibility for disability benefits as appropriate.