Is it safe to go sun tanning during pregnancy?

Unsafe

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by Mary Tyrer

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Tanning is not safe for anyone at anytime. Therefore,during pregnancy it is even more important to understand why tanning should be avoided. While a woman is pregnant her body will be going through many changes. Her hormones that are changing daily as the fetus grows causing the hormone melanin in the skin to be altered. One of the most noticeable a woman who tans in the sun could be the discoloration or blotchiness of her skin. Using a high level sun block may help. However, again due to the hormone melanin levels there is no guarantee the sun block will completely ensure the discoloration will be avoided.

Everyone should know that ultraviolet rays are harmful to all people under any circumstances. Generally speaking if something is not good for the expectant mother, then common sense would dictate it would not be good for an unborn baby. If a pregnant woman decides to tan, she should not wear a two piece bathing suit while in the sun if they choose to tan. Skin cancer or melanoma is one of the highest forms of cancers. Pregnant women should avoid tanning or the sun whenever possible not only for her safety, but that of the fetus. A major reason tanning is not a good idea, is the body temperature rises, thus this may harm the fetus, not to mention heatstroke is a risk to a pregnant woman.

Absolutely do not tan while pregnant in a tanning bed while pregnant, the ultraviolet rays are extremely strong. There may be no proof a tanning bed is harmful to the unborn child, nonetheless many times women use tanning beds who are not pregnant and stay too long, causing burn, which are harmful, the risk of the unknown is just another thing a pregnant woman does not need to worry about. Face it a pregnant woman is uncomfortable enough, why add the discomfort of a burn to everything else she is going through.

Presently there is no evidence that tanning will do harm to the fetus, although to be on the safe side it is always a good idea to speak to their doctor. This is a time that obstetricians are paying heavy insurance fees just to practice medicine. Many doctors want to know everything a woman does while she is pregnant. Doctors today are concerned about liable suits if something goes wrong with the pregnancy. Therefore, if a woman tans without consulting her physician, the physician may ask her to find another doctor to protect him or herself.

The best advice is going without a tan for the safety of both the unborn child and the mommy-to-be. There will be plenty of other summers to get that golden brown tan. A tan is not worth risking health or discomfort.

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