HAS ANYONE GONE SCUBA DIVING PREGNANT?
Karen Gibson
in early stages of pregnancy.....any warnings from doctors? any problems?
Rob West
>I was looking for information from anyone who has gone scuba diving while
>in early stages of pregnancy.....any warnings from doctors? any problems?
You might want to contact DAN at 919-684-2948.
Rob West srq...@gate.net
Sarasota, Florida USA
Diver165
inadvertantly...ie before they know they are pregnant. PADI's rule to
thumb and just about every OB doctor I've met says, NO diving while
pregnant.
Nobody can offer any definitive proof that diving is harmful to the fetus,
as no woman is willing to sacrafic her fetus in the name of science to
find out. <logically so too!!!>
Personally, I will not let a pregnant woman nor do I advocate diving while
pregnant in my classes or dive groups. Its just better to be safe than
sorry.
Roger Barnes
PADI OWSI
Chet Braun
As a YMCA instructor and having looking into it a bit since my wife
and I were scheduled for a trip to Roatan Honduras when we found out
'we' were preganant I can say that *not* enough is known about the
effects of diving while pregnant to risk it. We went to Honduras
but my wife limited her activities to snorkeling. She was 4 months
pregnant at the time. We suspected that limited diving below 33
feet would probably be OK but again there is *no* good information
available that we were aware of. I dove, she snorkeled. I might add
that I am very proud of my wife for swimming one mile each day through
month 8 and a half!
Please note also that she snorkled, she did not free dive, ie.
breath holding. I don't think it would be wise to deplete the
oxygen level in the bloodstream by breathhold diving while pregnant.
Chet
Brian Taylor
question, 99% from the US and 99% of that saying -
no don't do it!.
Two divers in our club were pregnant. One decided
not to dive and the other did. As her pregnancy
developed she limited her diving in terms of depth
and duration. No problems occurred -healthy babies
all round.
There are medical arguments regarding risk of
barotrauma on the foetus ( but you`re pregnant before
you realise it right? So this is always a risk unless
you stop diving to start a family).
There's also an argued increased risk in DCI because of
the longer blood route through the foetus (simplistically)
which is why my friend began to limit the range of her
diving.
However a study has been conducted in the UK organised
by Margarite St Leger Dowse ( her first name is spelt
incorrectly for which I apologise) with the Diving
Diseases Research Council (DDRC). They have net access
- I've seen Dr Maurice Cross posting very occaisionally)
and they might send you a copy of the report if you
contact them on 011-44-752-408093 ( assuming you are
outside the UK). This includes data from pregnant divers
( usually women) which might help you decide.
It's less risky not to dive but it's your decision.
Whatever you do good luck with diving and parenthood!
Regards
Brian
my opinions.. my employer has collective ones
Ron Fuller
>Subject: HAS ANYONE GONE SCUBA DIVING PREGNANT?
>Date: 20 Jan 1995 15:17:15 -0500
>Summary: Need info if one can scuba while in early stages of pregnancy
>Keywords: PREGNANT
>I was looking for information from anyone who has gone scuba diving while
>in early stages of pregnancy.....any warnings from doctors? any problems?
I had a dive buddy who was restricted to twenty feet or less for the first
three months and beached for the rest of her term. That was almost twenty
years ago and medical opinions on everything else have changed since then so
see your doctor and tell him you want it researched and ask for the reference
material. (Some doctors may want to error on the safe side and beach you from
the start, so do ask to see where he got the information )
Best Regards
Ron in San Diego
Ray McAllister
Duke Unioversity. They are the most authoritative source for any but the
few actually working in diving research right now! Call them at (919)
684-2948 then extension 222 formedical info. Most of the medical info
posted here, including mine, is personal opinion. DAN had a discussion of
diving while pregnant a while ago. Ask for a copy.
Ray McAllister, Prof (Emeritus) Ocean Eng., FAU, Boca Raton, FL 33064
Diving Dinosaur, Geologist/Oceanographer/Ocean Engineer, 43 years SCUBA
mcal...@gate.net (305) 426-0808, Author Diving Locations, Boynton/Dania
Philip Gelber M.D.
while pregnant with respect to air embolus to foetus.
Philip M. Gelber M.D.
Dr John Betts
>
> > I was looking for information from anyone who has gone scuba diving while
> > in early stages of pregnancy.....any warnings from doctors? any problems?
> >
> > kgi...@nova.umd.edu
> >
> >
while diving and it would be unethical to carry out
experiments to find out.
There is some uncertain evidence from retrospective
surveys that deep diving in the first trimester, say deeper
than 100ft can induce abortion and foetal abnormalities.
However prospective surveys which are difficult to carry
out, have so far failed to find any association and is
bedevilled by the fact that in any case some 2% of new born
babies have congenital abnormalities.
To be totally safe, any woman having unprotected
intercourse should not be diving since unfortunately, women
divers mostly do not know they are pregnant until they are a
week overdue with their period, longer if they are
irregular, by which time they have been pregnant for three
weeks. To those who are prepared to accept the minimal risk,
I advise them not to dive below 60 feet and to keep their
time to five minutes less than the no stop time for their
depth.
Those who have been inadvertently exposed to deep
dives in excess of the suggested limit, I advise to tell
their obstetrician of the possibility of foetal malformation
so that it may be given extra attention during pregnancy.
--
Dr John Betts
Paul D. Nelson
The NAUI Advanced Diver Book (or now I suppose it is called Master
Diver) has a section written by a woman on diving and pregnancy.
I recall it mentioned the author dove while pregnant and there were
no problems to the baby. The article discusses the various concerns
of bubbles, nitrogen, and DCS on the fetus. Because of the placenta,
nitrogen bubbles would 'probably' not be transferred to the fetus from
the mother. However, it is still possible for the fetus to get DCS
because the fetus still has dissolved gases in the their blood.
The bottom line was she did not recommend it because of the limited
research on the subject.
My personal recommendation, if I was pregnant, would be not to scuba
dive while pregnant or planning to become pregnant; I would go
snorkeling instead!
Note:
Being male I realize cannot ever become pregnant in the foreseeable
future. (Who knows as medical technology advances, but that is
another discussion group.) As a potential father, I still would be
concerned.
Bryan Douglas Crawford
<...snip...>
>There's also an argued increased risk in DCI because of
>the longer blood route through the foetus (simplistically)
>which is why my friend began to limit the range of her
>diving.
I've gotta correct this common misconception (no pun intended).
There is *no* exchange of blood between a pregnant woman and the
developing embryo. The embryo can even be (and often is) a
diferent blood type than the mother. There is, however, gas
exchange between the embryonic blood system and the maternal
blood system, so if a pregnant woman goes diving, the foetus will
take on a nitrogen load.
The foetus will be a 'slow' tissue wrt off-gasing since it will have
to pass all excess N2 across the placenta, rather than through it's
lungs. Therefore, even if the mother is perfectly clear, the baby
may be bent.
Tables and computers are based on lots of emperical experiments on
goats, and volunteer divers. We don't have any data on foetuses,
so we don't know what sort of limits will be safe. If you don't
dive, you can be sure you're within the safe limits.
Cheers
Bryan the Developmental Biology Nit-Picker
Jo Osborne
writes:
>I was looking for information from anyone who has gone scuba diving
while
>in early stages of pregnancy.....any warnings from doctors? any problems?
My partner and I are both divers, so it was inevitable that people would
ask when my son (now nearly 4) would be "gettin' out there". I've always
answered that he's already been down to 30m - but I didn't know it at the
time! I dived one weekend when I was two weeks pregnant - fortunately
with no adverse reactions from either of us. However, as soon as I found
out, I stopped diving and just snorkelled for the rest of the pregnancy
(as long as I could fit into my wetsuit, that is!). I did my share of
reading at the time, and came to the conclusion that, whilst I could
probably get away with shallow diving, little exersion and slow ascents,
the unproven aspects were just NOT worth the risk.
Jo
NinjaDiver
She is the proud parent of Amber Bail, who was a diving fetus.
zu...@delphi.com
>Call Linda Bail of Bubbles Below, Kauai (808) 822-3483
>
>She is the proud parent of Amber Bail, who was a diving fetus.
but the evidence is inconclusive as to whether diving while pregnant is
safe, and according to most diving medical experts it is NOT advisable.
In his article "Pregnancy and Diving" (Spring 1994 issue, UnderWater
magazine) Dr. Edward Lanphier of the University of Wisconsin describes
the difference in physiology in the adult and the fetus:
"The big difference from the adult is that the fetus does not yet use its
lungs, so little blood goes to them. Uptake of O2 and removal of excess
CO2 takes place in the placenta instead of the lungs. In adult animals and
humans, the lungs not only take care of gas exchange with the environment
but also serve as a "full-flow filter" for the blood, removing bubbles
and letting them disappear harmlessly. In the fetus, most of the blood
bypasses the lungs... without filtration in the lungs, bubbles that form
for any reason whatsoever can circulate freely and may lodge in some
vital organ such as the brain or heart muscle."
He also describes studies done with pregnant sheep. Some were incon-
clusive. But in one study, some ewes became pregnant during the study,
and most of them delivered healthy babies. But the number of stillbirths
was "much higher than normal, and all of these fetal deaths followed a
'bends event' in the mother. No lambs were born alive to mothers who
had decompression sickness following the last dive before delivery."
He closes by saying, "All I can say now in good conscience is to STOP
diving if you are or may be pregnant. If you intend to BECOME pregnant,
please stop diving FIRST."
These words come from a man who devoted his life (since the early 1950's
at least) to diving research, and who is well respected in his field.
Keith Olsen
How'd they get the mask to seal on the sheep's face?????
What tables were the sheep using??
>He closes by saying, "All I can say now in good conscience is to STOP
>diving if you are or may be pregnant. If you intend to BECOME pregnant,
>please stop diving FIRST."
>
>These words come from a man who devoted his life (since the early 1950's
>at least) to diving research, and who is well respected in his field.
>
Goin down O
0
o
.
Keith Olsen
Master Instructor 201 478
Below H2O Dive Centre
Markham, Ontario, Canada
*****We're not trying to be the biggest, just the best!!*****
Bobbie O.Sullivan
>>
>>He also describes studies done with pregnant sheep. Some were incon-
>>clusive. But in one study, some ewes became pregnant during the study,
>>and most of them delivered healthy babies. But the number of stillbirths
>>was "much higher than normal, and all of these fetal deaths followed a
>>'bends event' in the mother. No lambs were born alive to mothers who
>>had decompression sickness following the last dive before delivery."
>>
>How'd they get the mask to seal on the sheep's face?????
>What tables were the sheep using??
>
As I recall, the experiments were done in a chamber. So you might instead
imagine some funny lines about leading sheep into the chamber...
Not too long ago there was a group in England collecting data from women
who had been diving while pregnant, but I haven't seen anything about it
lately. Maybe some of our BSAC friends on the net know something about
this???
By the way, I did some diving in the early stages (first 4 mos) of a
pregnancy. The resulting child was free of apparent ill efects & will
turn 24 this coming June. (She swims very well, however...) But that
was in the days before I understood some of the finer points of dive
physiology. If I were pregnant now (God forbid), I would not dive until
after the baby was born.
Bobbie Sullivan, PhD