Pregnancy Still Can Dive???

Any Pro or Doctor can give some advice that when get pregnancy still can go diving?

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Hi

After som searching I found this on DAN. http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/...asp?articleid=9

I hope its usefull.

Mads

Hi

 

After som searching I found this on DAN. http://www.diversalertnetwork.org/medical/...asp?articleid=9

 

I hope its usefull.

 

Mads

No dive doctor in his right mind would give the go ahead to dive while pregnant - is even the possibility of causing a birth defect worth the risk to the unborn fetus - particularly if we are talking recreational diving - makes no sense to me as a doctor - not a chance worth taking.

Andy

Risk to fetus too great! hile some women have continued diving during pregnancy, it is not advised.

Detailed studies lacking to provide totally safe dive profiles for the fetus.

No dive doctor in his right mind would give the go ahead to dive while pregnant - is even the possibility of causing a birth defect worth the risk to the unborn fetus - particularly if we are talking recreational diving - makes no sense to me as a doctor - not a chance worth taking.

Andy

I would not recommend anyone to dive while pregnant either.

Mads

There is lack of in depth studies on humans but rats have shown developmental issues in fetal stage and beyond. Fetuses don't have developed lungs so off gassing would be totally dependent on the umbilical cord etc.

So unless you feel you won't like your future kid (and you probably wouldn't be asking if you felt that way ) I'd say it's a big NO to pregnant women diving.

Yup, the consensus is that diving and pregnancy don't mix, although there isn't really any evidence one way or the other in humans.

The big problem is that the most dangerous time is probably in early pregnancy, so the best advice would be not to dive if you are trying to conceive.

The second big problem that there seem to be too many doctors who are also wetpixies!

Tim (consultant anaesthetist and part-time hyperbaricist)

Yup, the consensus is that diving and pregnancy don't mix, although there isn't really any evidence one way or the other in humans.

 

The big problem is that the most dangerous time is probably in early pregnancy, so the best advice would be not to dive if you are trying to conceive.

 

The second big problem that there seem to be too many doctors who are also wetpixies!

 

Tim (consultant anaesthetist and part-time hyperbaricist)

 

Who else can afford all these expensive toys but docs - lawyers - software geeks and a few photo pros? Of course there are a lot of us docs out there on Wetpixel.

Andy

The big problem is that the most dangerous time is probably in early pregnancy, so the best advice would be not to dive if you are trying to conceive.

Is that right? I have no medical qualifications at all so am speaking from complete ignorance - but I thought that the foetus was thought to be safer until the maternal blood supply via the placenta was in place. Up until that point there's no method getting bubbles or gas gradient into the blood supply so there's no risk of the bends. That's what we were told when my wife get preggo anyway...

That said - I refer you all to my original statement - I have no medical training what so ever and the comment above does not constitute advice in any way shape or form.

Is that right? I have no medical qualifications at all so am speaking from complete ignorance - but I thought that the foetus was thought to be safer until the maternal blood supply via the placenta was in place. Up until that point there's no method getting bubbles or gas gradient into the blood supply so there's no risk of the bends. That's what we were told when my wife get preggo anyway...

 

That said - I refer you all to my original statement - I have no medical training what so ever and the comment above does not constitute advice in any way shape or form.

Your statement that there is "no method for getting bubbles to the fetus" is simply not true. As a pregnant woman absorbs nitrogen, so does the fetus at the same rate in the placental circulation when she dives. As she ascends the nitrogen is released in her circulation and the fetal circulation. What we are saying is that we simply don't know what this bubble formation will do to the unborn baby as it is developing in the woman's uterus. During the first trimester the fetus is very susceptible to developmental deformities from the mother's activities, so besides diving the woman should not smoke, drink alcohol or do other drugs to name a few.

Yea there are a lot of Docs on Wetpixel, but I think it is because we are more intellectual about our pursuits and are striving to learn better techniques for our under water photography.

Elmer

Thanks for all 's diver or Doc and pro.......

Even 1 or 2 month also can't dive????............ Let say a woman done her dive trip and after a week only know she or her got pregnancy.....how???? what should we do????????

Thanks for all 's diver or Doc and pro.......

 

 

Even 1 or 2 month also can't dive????............ Let say a woman done her dive trip and after a week only know she or her got pregnancy.....how???? what should we do????????

As another doctor speaking; despite all the advice - what she must do is see her own obstetrician / gynecologist. This is the only person who can and should take responsibility for her care and provide advice, not any of the internet docs. If the OB/GYN is not familiar with diving and pregnancy, ask them to consult with DAN.

Thanks for all 's diver or Doc and pro.......

 

 

Even 1 or 2 month also can't dive????............ Let say a woman done her dive trip and after a week only know she or her got pregnancy.....how???? what should we do????????

Ah! I see the problem now.

We are talking Statistics here, the overwhelming likelihood is that your foetus is unaffected by the diving experience but since birth defects of any sort are unfortunately not rare but uncommon we mostly have difficulty in understanding the odds of such a disaster.

As others have said we do not have studies in humans for obvious reasons, but the increase in chances of abnormality MAY be of the same order as the diffence between an 18year old and a 48 year old woman conceiving and experiencing an abnormal foetus.

As always what to do is determined by what you are both willing to do. If any termination is a no no then do nothing extra, if you would consider this then consider the best level of foetal ultrasound scanning at appropriate stage in pregnancy. This will probably at the least provide you with some reassurance.

Very best wishes

Tim Digger (Anaesthetist doctor and interested hyperbaric doctor)

Yea there are a lot of Docs on Wetpixel, but I think it is because we are more intellectual about our pursuits ...

Sorry, gotta call BS on this one. I've known many a truly excellent, intelligent Dr. who I considered friends outside of a professional capacity (both medical and non-medical PhDs). But I've met just as many who outside of their chosen realm of expertise at work were complete trainwrecks. "Boys with toys" just like the rest of us, but with a bit more money to throw around.

That said, I HATE the way medical insurance, malpractice insurance, etc. is going in this country, am terrified that our wonderful government is going to step in and "help" us by making it even worse, and I bet that outside of the top tier specialists most GPs are seeing their income squeezed, and the combination of having their practice practically out of their control with regulations yet still having full responsibility no doubt can lead to some of the "letting off steam" behavior I have seen. So I'm not trying to vilify anyone either.

Back on topic, don't know anything about whether they should, but I was diving on a trip with a woman* who was visibly (somewhere in 2nd trimester) pregnant. I remember being curious at the time but kept my mouth shut, as I too am no doctor. She was clearly a very good diver and didn't seem the thrillseeker type, so I simply 'assumed' she'd done the necessary homework in making her decision.

(*by which I mean I was on the same liveaboard, I wasn't personally "with" her)

Others have given very good information, and if you are a DAN member, there is also an article from 2004 (I thought there was more recent about the subject, but it could be this one that I am thinking about)

2004 Article

It concludes

In conclusion, based on current evidence, it is recommended that pregnant women should not engage in scuba diving. The scientific data is very limited and the uncertainties of risk factors too great to jeopardize the life of a fetus.

As Jeff said, you should speak with OB/GYN who knows this subject very well and if they do not make sure they speak with DAN and/or find another Dr. You can also call DAN directly. If there is a particular aspect, such as you were diving and this scenario

... Let say a woman done her dive trip and after a week only know she or her got pregnancy.....how???? what should we do????????

Is more than a theoretical questions and actually what happened, make sure you let them know that also.

Who else can afford all these expensive toys but docs - lawyers - software geeks and a few photo pros? Of course there are a lot of us docs out there on Wetpixel.

Andy

A very few photo pros

A very few photo pros

 

Some cannot even upgrade their old cameras I have heard

I would say why take any risk ? it is her kid we're talking about. If anytime, the foetus is more sensitive during the first months (it is smaller, cells havent specialised and one bubble would do more damage earlier than later.

If a dive trip has been taken and she discovered her pregnancy only later : it happened, probably nothing is wrong, but dont take any chances anymore.

Your statement that there is "no method for getting bubbles to the fetus" is simply not true. As a pregnant woman absorbs nitrogen, so does the fetus at the same rate in the placental circulation when she dives. As she ascends the nitrogen is released in her circulation and the fetal circulation.

Except what I actually said that I thought there was no method of absorbing nitrogen 'until the maternal blood supply via the placenta was in place'. The transfer you're talking about requires the placenta to be in place. I'm happy to be wrong but I'd like to understand why I'm wrong and your reply doesn't really explain it to me.

- what she must do is see her own obstetrician / gynecologist...

Whilst this is undoubtedly true, the chances that an OB/GY will have experience in hyperbaric medicine are so small that the only defensible opinion would be not to dive when pregnant or when trying to conceive. I find it hard to believe that any obstetrician would accept the risk of what is, in effect, exposing the baby to an untested pharmaceutical.

I am not aware of a risk from "recreational" free-diving, although the effects of long or deep breath-hold dives are also unknown.

Physiologically, the foetus operates at lower oxygen partial pressures than the mother. This may offer a degree of protection against hypoxia, but, by shrinking the "oxygen window" puts the foetus at increased risk of decompression illness. The effects of high oxygen partial pressures on the developing nervous system are harmful, and the effect of nitrogen narcosis on the developing brain unknown.

Tim