Infections
Lead exposure
Radiation and electromagnetic fields
Pregnant women and their partners often express concerns about how their surrounding environment could affect the pregnancy and/or their unborn child. Issues can relate to infectious diseases, toxins, radiation, chemicals, pesticides, electronic equipment and air pollution in either the work or home environment.
There are still many unanswered questions surrounding the effects of several environmental exposures. This makes it difficult for caregivers to provide parents with definite answers, because there is little research to show whether a specific exposure is definitely harmful or safe. No one can really be certain about a number of exposures and their effects on pregnant woman and unborn babies in the short or long term. In many cases, the 'multifactorial' aspects of 'other environmental exposures' in our daily life makes it difficult to accurately pinpoint a specific cause of a possible birth defect or pregnancy complication, or link it to one particular exposure. This is not to say that we know nothing at all. There is definite evidence that some exposures (especially at certain times during pregnancy) are potentially 'teratogenic' (or capable of causing birth defects) and others may increase the risks of pregnancy complications such as
miscarriage or
stillbirth.
At this stage, most caregivers, employers and manufacturers take the blanket approach of:
.....avoiding or minimising exposure to anything that may potentially cause problems wherever possible during pregnancy.