Dangers Of Using Tanning Beds During Pregnancy
Tanning Bed + Pregnancy: Is this combination dangerous?
Home and commercial tanning beds can help a person obtain the desired rich dark skin color as they emit ultra violet radiations using fluorescent lamps. These radiations may cause problems in pregnancy due to a variety of reasons:
Many experts may argue that indoor tanning beds can be used during pregnancy since the rays that can may the human tissue are not strong enough to penetrate into the womb.
Although this is partially true, many gynecologists recommend expecting mothers not to use tanning beds during pregnancy since they increase the mother’s temperature which can be harmful for the baby.
Overheating of the body also known as hypothermia is often associated with certain types of spinal deformities and hypothermia can affect the fetus if the mother’s body temperature goes over 102 degrees Fahrenheit for several hours.
Many gynecologists and doctors have also suggested a connection between indoor tanning and folic acid deficiency. Folic acid is very important for the fetus and mother as this acid prevents neural tube defects such as spina bifida. It is also suggested that a mother’s skin is more sensitive and Ultra Violet rays can cause the mother’s skin to burn faster.
Chloasma is a condition that causes pregnant women to develop dark spots on their faces and using tanning beds can worsen this skin condition. There is scientific evidence that lying down on your back for too long under UV light can restrict blood flow to the heart and this can be fatal to the fetus and in certain cases can affect the mother’s health.
Using tanning beds may also cause dehydration which can harm both the mother and fetus depending on the extent of dehydration.
Indoor sunbeds are considered safer than tanning booths since the temperature of tanning beds is lesser than that of tanning booths. If an expecting mother does decide to use a residential tanning bed or go to a tanning salon, she should avoid dehydration by periodically drinking cool liquids .
Using tanning beds for very short periods is another way to avoid problems associated with overheating. It is recommended that expecting mothers should avoid using tanning beds for at least the first three months of the pregnancy.
Using tanning lotions with natural ingredients is a safer sleftanning alternative for pregnant women. And if applying the lotion on hard to reach surfaces is an issue, using bronzing sprays is also a very good solution.
We come to the conclusion that using bronzing beds during pregnancy for long periods can cause problems like overheating of the body which leads to neural tube defects and spinal problems in the baby. Using tanning beds during pregnancy can also cause the woman’s skin to burn and can worse Chloasma.
Keeping the body hydrated and using home tanning beds for short periods is recommended if the expecting mother decides to use a tanning bed. Using tanning lotions and tanning sprays is a safer alternative that provide similar results.
Here are more ressources from the internet dealing with the safety of indoor tanning and bronzing in general during pregnancy.
Tanning and Pregnancy
Speak to your health care provider about the safety of tanning beds during pregnancy. There are additional studies that link UV rays to deficiencies in folic acid.
Pregnancy and tanning bed use
Two things that definitely don’t go together are pregnancy and tanning bed use. Pregnant mothers have a lot to deal with.
Tanning When Pregnant - Is It Safe?
Even dermatologists would advise you against it and ask you to stay away from tanning during your pregnancy. The main reason for this is that tanning beds produce two types of UV lights.