However if you do choose to paint you should do the following. During the last six months of pregnancy exposures to harmful chemicals can slow down the growth of the baby or affect brain development but are less likely to cause physical birth defects.
This type of paint gives off vapors called volatile organic compounds VOCs that can cause headaches eye irritation nausea dizziness and fatigue.
Paint fumes while pregnant. Its highly unlikely that painting or being around paint fumes while youre pregnant will harm your unborn baby as the risk from most modern household paints is very low. The risk of harm to your baby may be slightly greater from solvent-based paints and old paintwork which may contain traces of lead. For this reason you should avoid using.
So if youre painting during pregnancy consider the following recommendations. Paint in a well-ventilated space to minimize fume inhalation. Open windows and doors and take frequent breaks.
Position a fan to help air out the room. Avoid eating and drinking in the room being painted as fumes can. One of the biggest concerns is exposure to paint fumes during the 1s 2nd or 3rd trimester of your pregnancy.
While there have been studies that try to understand the effects of painting during a pregnancy although they focus more on recreational and occupational painting activities than one-off house painting and the like the data is still insufficient that scientists and doctors cannot make a. Exposure to paint fumes during pregnancy can impact the baby even years after the birth. Learning difficulties have been linked with paint fume exposure particularly exposure to oil-based paints.
In order to prevent these effects from occurring pregnant women are advised to avoid painting during pregnancy and to allow a space to ventilate well after painting is done even if professional. To steer clear of inhaling paint fumes while pregnant and keep your baby safe from major health risks ensure that you dont use newly painted rooms during your first trimester. And when your baby has arrived heshe can wait for a month or two before sleeping in that nursery.
Most health experts agree that painting while pregnant can be risky. While studies have shown extremely low exposure to paint fumes the risk to the unborn child is still unknown. It is important to keep yourself in good health and to ensure that your baby is safe during pregnancy.
Using non-toxic paints during pregnancy is vital. If you have serious concerns about the effects of paint fumes on your unborn baby you should avoid painting while pregnant. However if you do choose to paint you should do the following.
The truth is that breathing in paint fumes is not good for anyone but especially not for a pregnant woman and her unborn child. There are different opinions with regard to. Is it Safe to Paint While Pregnant.
There are basically three categories of paint which pregnant women could be exposed to latex oil and enamelThe degree of toxicity during pregnancy is challenging to predict because there are currently no methods of measuring actual exposure. The likelihood of paint toxicity depends on the chemicals and solvents found in the paint along with the. During the last six months of pregnancy exposures to harmful chemicals can slow down the growth of the baby or affect brain development but are less likely to cause physical birth defects.
If growth is slowed down the baby may weigh less than normal at birth. Low-birth-weight babies are more likely to get sick during their first year of life. This is a no-go during pregnancy especially early on.
Spray painting poses a danger for a couple of reasons. Particles can be easily inhaled and the chemical odor is quite strong. Furthermore spray paint is full of harmful VOCs that are released as the paint dries.
Oil-based paint isnt a good choice when painting while pregnant because it contains harsh solvents Valle says. This type of paint gives off vapors called volatile organic compounds VOCs that can cause headaches eye irritation nausea dizziness and fatigue. High levels of exposure to paints with the solvent toluene have been shown to cause growth restrictions and small head size in babies symptoms.
As such it is best for pregnant women to limit their exposure to paint and paint fumes especially in the first trimester. According to Lisa Valle DO an ob-gyn at Providence Saint Johns Health. Pregnant women arent exactly dexterous and nimble on their feet which is another reason why painting isnt recommended while pregnant.
While youre sporting your baby bump your center of gravity shifts so dont climb a ladder to paint up high. Have someone else tackle those hard-to-reach wall areas. When the project is complete its a good idea to wash up and take a shower to help.
Paint is chock-full of nasty chemicals few of which have been tested for safety during pregnancy. While the individual effects of these chemicals on unborn children remains something of a mystery studies have found that exposure to volatile organic compounds VOCs fume-emitting chemicals cause significant harm to humans outside of the womb.