Pregnancy can affect your safety as a worker. If you are pregnant, we encourage you to discuss possible job hazards with your employer, health and safety office at work (if there is one), and doctor, as soon as possible. Many pregnant women are able to adjust their job duties temporarily, or take extra steps to protect themselves.

Current occupational exposure limits were set based on studies of non-pregnant adults. What is considered safe for you, may not be safe for your fetus. Although most employees are able to safely do their job throughout pregnancy, pregnancy can sometimes affect worker safety.

If you are pregnant and working you may have to consider that:

• Changes in your metabolism increase how quickly you absorb some chemicals (e.g. some metals).
• Because of physical changes, the personal protective equipment that you could wear correctly before pregnancy may not fit properly, such as lab coats or respirators.
• When pregnant, changes in your immune system, lung capacity, and even ligaments can alter your risk of injury or illness due to some workplace hazards.
• A fetus might be more vulnerable to some chemicals because of its rapid growth and development, particularly early in pregnancy when its organs are developing.

Breastfeeding provides many benefits to your baby. Most mothers who work can safely breastfeed their babies. If you work with chemicals, breastfeeding is an important time to talk to your doctor because some chemicals can get into breast milk and possibly harm your baby. Your doctor can help you find out how you can safely breastfeed while working.

Some types of chemicals can get into breast milk

Not all chemicals can get into breast milk, and not all chemicals will harm your baby. Here are a few chemicals that can get into breast milk:

• Lead, mercury, and other heavy metals
• Organic solvents and volatile organic chemicals (such as dioxane, perchloroethylene, and bromochloroethane)
• Chemicals from smoke, fires, or tobacco
• Some radioactive chemicals used in hospitals for radiation therapy (such as Iodine-131)

If you work with one of these chemicals, it is important to talk to your doctor about breastfeeding.

Some of these chemicals can harm a baby

Some harmful chemicals have been measured in breast milk at levels that could harm the baby.

Lead is one example. Lead in breast milk can harm a baby’s brain. If you work with lead, ask your doctor to measure your blood lead level to see if there is too much lead in your body to safely breastfeed your baby.

What you can do to protect your baby while breastfeeding

Breastfeeding is very good for your baby’s health, and most working mothers can safely breastfeed their babies. If you have questions about breastfeeding and your chemical exposures at work, keep breastfeeding your baby while you take these steps:

1. Talk to your doctor or other healthcare professional

   Tell them what kinds of chemicals you work with and ask them if it’s safe to keep breastfeeding.

2. If you work with harmful chemicals that can get into breast milk:

   • Ask your doctor for ways to reduce or eliminate the chemical in your breast milk.
   • Talk to your employer or your workplace safety officer about ways you can reduce or eliminate your exposure. This might include using personal protective equipment (PPE) or changing your work duties.
   • If you use gloves, protective clothing, a respirator, or other PPE, be sure they are right for you and the chemical you work with.
   • If you, your doctor, or your employer need more information, contact us.

3. Protect your home and family

   • Avoid bringing chemicals from your workplace into your home. Chemicals can come home on your skin, hair, clothes, or shoes. Once you come home, these chemicals can stick to your floor or furniture where your baby can be exposed.
   • Ask household members what kinds of chemicals they work with. Ask them to help you protect your home and family by preventing take-home exposures.

Chemicals from your work can come home on your skin, hair, clothes and shoes. When you go home, these chemicals can get onto your floors, your furniture, or in your car where your family members or pets can be exposed. We call this take-home exposure. Some of these chemicals might be dangerous, especially for children. Here is some information on how chemicals get into your home and how you can prevent this from happening.

What we know

• A lot of different chemicals are accidentally brought home from work and can make family members sick. These include lead, pesticides, beryllium, and asbestos.
• Take-home exposures might be particularly dangerous to young children because children are small, spend lots of time on the floor, tend to put things in their mouths, and their bodies are still growing and developing.
• Lead is a chemical that is commonly brought into the home and it can be very dangerous. Lead harms children’s brains and can also be harmful to pregnant women, because it can affect the unborn baby. People who work with lead include construction workers, painters, home renovators, and battery or electronics recyclers.

What we don’t know

Some chemicals are harmful to both adults and children, but many chemicals have not been tested for safety in children. If you work with chemicals, the safest thing to do is to make sure you don’t take these chemicals home with you.

Who you can talk to

• Talk to your employer or your company’s safety officer about how all workers can avoid bringing chemicals home with them.
• Talk to your doctor about the types of chemicals in your workplace. Ask if these chemicals are harmful to your family members and how you can avoid bringing them home with you.
• Talk to your household members about what chemicals they work with. Explain that it is important to avoid bringing these chemicals home with them, because some might be dangerous, especially for children.
• If you, your doctor, or your employer needs more information, contact us.

What you can do to prevent take-home exposures

• The best way to keep chemicals out of your home is to keep them from leaving work:
  • Wear protective clothing at work so that chemicals do not get on your clothes.
  • Change your clothes and shoes before leaving work.
  • Keep your dirty work clothes and shoes separate from your clean clothes (for example, store them in separate lockers).
  • Wash contaminants off. If your workplace has a shower, take a shower before leaving work. Otherwise, wash your hands before you leave.
• If you can’t change clothes or shower at work, reduce the amount of chemicals that enter your home:
  • Take off your work shoes in your garage or as soon as you enter your home, so you don’t bring chemicals any further in.
  • Change out of your work clothes right away. Wash your work clothes right away if you can.
  • Wash your work clothes in a different load of laundry from your family’s clothes. This keeps chemicals on your clothes from getting on theirs.
  • Wash your hands or shower as soon as you get home.
• If other people in your household work, ask them to help prevent take-home exposure from their work, too.

Personal protective equipment (PPE) is equipment that is worn to reduce your exposure to hazardous chemicals. Gloves, protective clothing, goggles, and respirators are types of PPE.

PPE can work very well, but it must be the right kind for the type of work tasks and the types of chemicals in the workplace. It must also be maintained correctly, or else it might provide little or no protection. PPE typically reduces your exposure, but does not eliminate it completely, so wearing PPE does not guarantee complete protection for you or for an unborn baby if you are pregnant.

Gloves

Some chemicals can pass through, or permeate, gloves or other PPE very quickly. The companies that sell gloves and other PPE have chemical resistance guides that show how long a specific glove type or fabric will hold up to specific chemicals. Work with your company’s safety office or a company that sells PPE to find the right gloves and other PPE.

Respirators

Respirators are protective masks or hoods that you can wear to help you breathe cleaner air. There are many different types of respirators. Many respirators are unlikely to cause difficulties for pregnant workers, but there are a few things to consider:

• Some respirators must be fitted to your face to make a tight seal. Weight changes, including weight gained during pregnancy, can affect how a respirator fits. If a respirator does not fit correctly, it may not protect you.
• Some respirators (like negative pressure respirators) make you work harder to breathe. Because pregnancy can also make women work harder to breathe, this can sometimes cause difficulties (particularly late in pregnancy).

If you wear a tight-fitting or negative pressure respirator, we suggest talking to your doctor and safety office to make sure you can wear your respirator safely and correctly throughout pregnancy. Pregnant women who have difficulty with their normal respirators might be able to switch job duties temporarily so they don’t have to wear a respirator, or switch to a different kind of respirator that doesn’t fit tightly to the face or make it more difficult to breathe.

What you need to know

Many workplaces have unique chemicals or work conditions. How much of a chemical you might be exposed to may be affected by:

• workplace set-up
• mechanical or natural ventilation (like windows or outdoor work areas)
• work practices
• personal protective equipment

We may be able to help if you, or your employer, are concerned about job reproductive hazards. We encourage employers to do a worksite-specific evaluation of hazards.

Learn more about reproductive hazards that might be found in common jobs

Aircrew (pilots and flight attendants)

Pregnant flight attendants and pilots should select flight schedules during pregnancy to reduce exposures to cosmic ionizing radiation and circadian disruption (jet lag). Also, pregnant aircrew should try to reduce physical demands including standing, lifting, and bending from the waist.

Artists

Fine arts, pottery, or craftwork may involve exposures including solvents, heat, byproducts of burning, or heavy metals. Using proper personal protective equipment (PPE) is very important. Artists may consider postponing some art work until after pregnancy or breast feeding.

Child care or working with children

Women in child care may encounter a variety of situations which may affect their pregnancies, such as long working hours, physical demands such as heavy lifting or standing for long periods of time, or exposure to germs.

Farm and greenhouse workers

Farmworkers and greenhouse workers often handle pesticides, or work in areas where pesticides have been applied. Those who work with livestock can also be exposed to animal waste and zoonotic diseases (animal-related infections that can spread to humans). Farm equipment can also expose farm and greenhouse workers to noise and diesel fuel/exhaust, as well as high physical demands like lifting, standing, and bending repeatedly.

Fire fighters

Fire fighters are exposed to toxic byproducts of burning and heat, as well as shift work and physical demands such as heavy lifting. Required respiratory protection (e.g. SCBA) may not be appropriate during pregnancy for several reasons. Learn more about fire fighters.

Healthcare

Women in healthcare may encounter a variety of situations which may affect their pregnancies, such as shift work and long working hours, physical demands such as heavy lifting or standing for long periods of time, or exposure to infectious agents. Slips and falls in healthcare facilities are common due to wet floors (for example, around handwashing and decontamination areas). Healthcare workers may also work with chemotherapy drugs, antiviral drugs, anesthetic gases, disinfectants, X-rays, or epoxies or resins. Learn more about what healthcare workers can do to help their patients avoid job hazards, and find additional resources to help healthcare workers.

Laboratories

Laboratory work (in clinical or research laboratories) can involve a wide range of chemicals such as solvents, formaldehyde, ionizing radiation, and infectious agents. Lab workers should follow recommended best practices when handling infectious materials, make sure they are using biological and chemical safety cabinets correctly, and check the Materials Safety Data Sheets (MSDS) for chemicals they handle to make sure they are wearing appropriate personal protective equipment. In particular, not all gloves provide adequate protection for all chemicals. It is very important to match the type of glove to the type of chemical.

Morticians/anatomy students

Formaldehyde is a commonly used preservative for embalming and dissection. Pregnant workers should evaluate whether they can temporarily avoid these activities, or reduce exposure as much as possible.

Nail, hair, and beauty salons

Nail and beauty salon employees are potentially exposed to dozens of chemicals including acrylates (epoxies or resins), solvents, formaldehyde, and biocides as dusts or vapors. Some chemicals commonly used in salons can enter breast milk or be carried home on skin, clothes, and shoes.

Office workers

Office workers who are pregnant may have concerns about long working hours. In offices attached to manufacturing areas, manufacturing chemicals or solvent odors may be present in the office area. Women in office environments may also encounter physical demands such as heavy lifting or standing for long periods of time.

Restaurants and bars

Women who work in restaurants and bars may be concerned about heat and the air they are breathing. Secondhand smoke, as well as smoke from grilling and frying may contain chemicals like polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons. Increased ventilation may help to reduce exposures.

Veterinary and animal care services

Veterinary workers often have high physical demands, such as heavy lifting or standing for long periods of time, and may work with several potentially hazardous chemicals or products that might adversely affect their reproductive health. These include antineoplastic drugs, antiviral drugs, anesthetic gases, disinfectants, X-rays, and pesticides, such as those used for flea and mite treatments. Zoonotic infections, or infections acquired from animals, are another important concern. Learn more about veterinary safety and health.

There are some common workplace hazards that could be harmful for pregnant or breastfeeding women, or for household members when carried home on clothes, skin, and shoes. Talk to your doctor or your employer about what you are exposed to at work, and find more information on specific exposures here.

• Anesthetic Gases
• Antineoplastic (Chemotherapy) Drugs
• Chemical Disinfectants and Sterilants
• Epoxies and Resins
• Formaldehyde
• Heat
• Infectious Agents
• Lead and Other Heavy Metals
• Noise
• Pesticides
• Physical Demands (Lifting, Standing, Bending)
• Radiation – Ionizing
• Radiation – Nonionizing
• Secondhand Smoke
• Smoke and Byproducts of Burning
• Solvents
• Work Schedule (Shift Work and Long Working Hours)

Working with anesthetic gases could increase your chances of having a miscarriage if the gases are not properly controlled. Here, you can learn more about anesthetic gases and what you can do to reduce your exposure for a healthier pregnancy.

What are anesthetic gases?

• Anesthetic gases are used to keep patients unconscious during surgery.
• “Waste anesthetic gases” are small amounts of anesthetic gases that leak from the patient’s breathing mask into the air of operating or recovery rooms. These gases may also be exhaled by patients recovering from anesthesia.
• Names of anesthetic gases include: nitrous oxide, halothane, enflurane, isoflurane, desflurane, sevoflurane, and methoxyflurane (no longer used in the United States).

Why should I be concerned about exposure?

• We know that people who have been exposed to waste anesthetic gases have an increased risk of miscarriage. Hospitals are better now at preventing anesthetic gases from leaking into operating rooms during surgery, which reduces the exposure of workers. Therefore, we think the risk of miscarriage is lower in most of today’s operating rooms than it used to be.
• If you work with children or animals, it may be difficult to control the leaking from the mask because the patient may move around a lot.

Who is exposed to anesthetic gases?

• Anyone working in an operating room or recovery room with an anesthetized patient (human or animal) might be exposed to anesthetic gases. This includes anesthesiologists, dentists, veterinarians, nurse anesthetists, operating-room nurses, operating-room technicians, other operating-room personnel, recovery-room nurses, other recovery-room personnel, and surgeons.
• Workers are most likely to be exposed to waste anesthetic gases in operating rooms with no automatic ventilation or scavenging systems, operating rooms where these systems are in poor condition, or recovery rooms where gases exhaled by recovering patients are not properly vented or scavenged.
• Workers may be exposed when leaks occur in the anesthetic breathing circuit, when anesthetic gases escape during hookup and disconnection of the system, or when anesthetic gas seeps over the lip of the patient’s mask.

What is not known?

• We don’t know what causes most miscarriages. If you work with anesthetic gases and have a miscarriage, we often can’t tell if it was caused by working with anesthetic gases or if it was caused by something else.
• We don’t know what levels of anesthetic gases are safe during pregnancy. Try to reduce or eliminate your exposure as much as possible.

What can I do to reduce or eliminate exposure?

• Scavenger systems, devices used to gather and remove waste anesthetic gases from treatment rooms, must be maintained and monitored to make sure they are working properly.
• Pregnant workers may consider talking to their employers to avoid exposure to these gases during pregnancy.
• If exposure cannot be avoided during pregnancy, respirators can be worn to reduce the amount of certain chemicals that workers breathe in. Charcoal masks or surgical masks will not protect you from these chemicals. To be effective, respirators must be used correctly. Learn more about respirators and pregnancy. Talk to your doctor and your employer if you think you might need to use a respirator.
• Follow the recommendations in the NIOSH guidance on waste anesthetic gases to reduce or eliminate your exposure as much as possible. Share this guidance with your employer to make sure they are following the most recent guidance for protecting workers from exposure to anesthetic gases.

Working with antineoplastic drugs during pregnancy could increase your chances of having a miscarriage or a child with a birth defect. Here, you can learn more about working with antineoplastic drugs and what you can do to reduce your exposure for a healthier pregnancy.

What are antineoplastic drugs?

• Antineoplastic drugs are medications used to treat cancer. Antineoplastic drugs are also called anticancer, chemotherapy, chemo, cytotoxic, or hazardous drugs.
• These drugs come in many forms. Some are liquids that are injected into the patient and some are pills that patients take.

Why should I be concerned about exposure?

• We know that cancer patients who are taking antineoplastic drugs have an increased risk of infertility. If they are treated during pregnancy, these patients have an increased risk of miscarriage or having a child with a birth defect.
• People who work with these drugs have also been found to have an increased risk of having a miscarriage or a child with a birth defect.
• Antineoplastic drugs work by targeting and killing rapidly dividing cancerous cells, but they can also be harmful to healthy dividing cells, including the cells of a developing baby.

Who is exposed to antineoplastic drugs?

• Pharmacists or pharmacy technicians who prepare antineoplastic drugs.
• Nurses who prepare and/or administer the drugs.
• Doctors and operating room workers who treat patients who have antineoplastic drugs in their bodies.
• Hospital staff such as shipping and receiving personnel, custodial workers, laundry workers, and waste handlers who might come into contact with these drugs through their work, by transporting the drugs, cleaning up spills, or handling linens contaminated with bodily fluids from patients receiving antineoplastic drugs.
• Veterinarians, veterinary technicians, and other animal care workers who treat or come into contact with animals who are taking these drugs.

What is not known?

• We don’t know what causes most miscarriages or birth defects. If you work with antineoplastic drugs and have a miscarriage or a baby with a birth defect, we often can’t tell if it was caused by working with antineoplastic drugs or if it was caused by something else.
• We don’t know what levels of antineoplastic drugs are safe. Try to reduce or eliminate your exposure as much as possible.

What can I do to reduce or eliminate exposure?

• Take precautions to eliminate or reduce exposure as much as possible by following guidance in the NIOSH Alert on antineoplastic drugs for recommendations on protective clothing and equipment.

Working with chemical disinfectants and sterilants (sometimes also referred to as high-level disinfectants) during pregnancy could increase your chances of having a miscarriage or preterm birth. In this section, we talk about chemical disinfectants used in workplaces including health care and beauty salons. Here, you can learn more about working with disinfectants and what you can do to reduce your exposure for a healthier pregnancy.

What are chemical disinfectants?

• Chemical disinfectants and sterilants are used in workplaces such as healthcare facilities and beauty salons to kill bacteria, viruses, fungi, and parasites on equipment that cannot be sterilized using high heat.
• Examples of high-level disinfectants include: ethylene oxide gas, hydrogen peroxide gas plasma, glutaraldehyde, orthophthalaldehyde, peracetic acid, and formaldehyde.
• High level disinfectants are not the same as most common household disinfectants (for example, surface sprays containing quaternary ammonium compound disinfectants or bleach). Common household disinfectants used by adults according to directions are generally not considered hazardous.

Why should I be concerned about exposure?

• We know that some studies have shown a higher risk of miscarriages and preterm birth with healthcare workers who were exposed to chemical disinfectants and sterilizing agents.
• We do not know what levels of these agents are safe for pregnant women.

Who is exposed to disinfectants?

• Healthcare workers
• Hospital staff
• Veterinary workers
• Nail, hair, and beauty salon workers

What is not known?

• We don’t know what causes most miscarriages or preterm birth. If you work with disinfectants and have a miscarriage or preterm birth, we often can’t tell if it was caused by working with disinfectants or if it was caused by something else.
• We don’t know what levels of chemical disinfectants and sterilants are safe. Try to reduce or eliminate your exposure as much as possible.

Working with or exposure to certain epoxies or resins could increase your chances of having fertility problems, miscarriage, stillbirth, or a baby with birth defects. Here, you can learn more about these chemicals and what you can do to reduce your exposure for a healthier pregnancy.

What are epoxies and resins?

• Epoxies and resins are chemicals that can form a hard, strong surface when they cure. They are often used in two-part glues or surface coatings. As epoxies cure, they generally turn into much less toxic polymers.
• These chemicals include styrene, methyl methacrylate, epoxy resins, vinyl chloride, and others.

Why be concerned about exposure?

• Some of the chemicals in this group have been linked with an increased risk for fertility problems, miscarriage, stillbirth, and birth defects.
• We do not know what levels of these agents are safe for pregnant women.
• Keep in mind that smelling or not smelling a chemical doesn’t mean you are safe or not safe. Harmful levels of chemicals cannot always be smelled, and some much less hazardous chemicals have an odor.

Who is exposed to epoxies and resins?

• Plastic manufacturing workers
• Beauty and nail salon workers (note—the Food and Drug Administration has banned the use of methyl methacrylate in nail salons)
• Healthcare workers, particularly in orthopedics and dental laboratories
• Boat builders

What is not known?

• We don’t know what causes most fertility problems, miscarriages, birth defects, and other reproductive problems. If you work with epoxies and resins and have a miscarriage or a baby with a birth defect or other problem, we often can’t tell if it was caused by exposure to these chemicals or if it was caused by something else.
• We don’t know what levels of exposure to these chemicals are safe. Try to reduce or eliminate your exposure as much as possible.

What can I do to reduce or eliminate exposure?

• If you are pregnant, consider talking to your employers to avoid these duties during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• If avoidance during pregnancy and breastfeeding is not possible:
  • Avoid directly mixing resins if at all possible. Ask someone else to mix them for you.
  • Increase ventilation as much as possible.
  • Find out what resins or epoxies are in use, and wear the right personal protective equipment (PPE).
  • Gloves have to be the right materials or they may not protect you.
  • If exposure cannot be avoided during pregnancy, respirators can be worn to reduce the amount of certain chemicals that workers breathe in. Charcoal masks or surgical masks will not protect you from these chemicals. To be effective, respirators must be used correctly. Learn more about respirators and pregnancy. Talk to your doctor and your employer if you think you might need to use a respirator.
  • If there is any chance of splashing these chemicals into the eyes, eye protection (safety glasses or goggles) should be used.
  • If you get these chemicals on skin or clothes, wash the skin or change clothing as soon as possible.
  • Make sure that you are not bringing these chemicals home on your work clothing or shoes. Change clothes and shoes before leaving work and wash these clothes separately if your company does not offer a work clothing laundry service.

Working with formaldehyde could increase your chances of having fertility problems or miscarriage. Here, you can learn more about formaldehyde and related chemicals and what you can do to reduce your exposure for a healthier pregnancy.

What is formaldehyde?

Formaldehyde (and closely related formalin and glutaraldehyde) is an organic chemical usually used in a water solution as a preservative and disinfectant.

Why should I be concerned about exposure to formaldehyde?

• Formaldehyde is known to cause cancer
• Working with formaldehyde may increase your chances of having fertility problems or a miscarriage
• Most work exposures to formaldehyde are not likely to be high enough to enter breast milk. But formaldehyde may enter breast milk at exposure levels that are found in some workplaces, such as anatomy and mortuary science laboratories.

Who is exposed to formaldehyde?

Exposure to formaldehyde is most commonly found in these workplaces:

• Funeral home employees
• Anatomy and mortuary science laboratory workers
• Pathology/cytology laboratory workers
• Cosmetologists, beauticians, and nail salon technicians

What is not known?

• We don’t know what causes most fertility problems, miscarriages, and other reproductive problems. If you work with formaldehyde and have a miscarriage or a fertility problem, we can’t tell if it was caused by exposure to these chemicals or if it was caused by something else.
• We don’t know what levels of exposure to formaldehyde or related chemicals are safe. Try to reduce or eliminate your exposure as much as possible.
• We don’t know how high formaldehyde levels have to be to enter breast milk. It is not very likely that formaldehyde will enter breast milk for most work exposures.

What can I do to reduce or eliminate exposure?

• First, protect yourself by talking to your employer or workplace’s safety officer to find out the formaldehyde exposure levels in your workplace, and make sure that exposure limits are being followed.
  • The Occupational Safety and Health Administration (OSHA) has set the permissible exposure limit (PEL) at 0.75 parts per million (ppm) as a time-weighted average (TWA), with a short-term exposure limit of 2 ppm. The NIOSH recommended exposure limit (REL) is 0.016 ppm (TWA), or 0.1 ppm (15-min ceiling).
  • Formaldehyde levels have not been reported for every kind of workplace that uses this chemical, but some workplaces might exceed these limits. For example, NIOSH measurements of formaldehyde at one mortuary college were an average of 1.4 ppm. The lowest measurement was 0.5 ppm, and the highest was 6.1 ppm during preparation.
  • There is evidence that formaldehyde levels higher than 2 ppm can enter the milk of animals, but we do not know how likely this is for humans.
• These exposure limits were written for healthy non-pregnant workers, and might not protect a developing fetus. Consider talking to your employer about avoiding duties with formaldehyde exposure on a temporary basis during pregnancy.
• If you cannot avoid formaldehyde exposure during pregnancy/breastfeeding:
  • Wear appropriate gloves when handling formaldehyde. Formaldehyde and other solvents can be absorbed through the skin. Formaldehyde can break through some of the most common types of gloves in 15 minutes or less. Gloves made from butyl rubber, neoprene rubber, or nitrile rubber are generally recommended. Latex rubber, natural rubber, polyethylene, or polyvinyl alcohol gloves are not recommended because they do not offer adequate protection against formaldehyde. Learn about selecting appropriate gloves.
  • If exposure cannot be avoided during pregnancy, respirators can be worn to reduce the amount of certain chemicals that workers breathe in. Charcoal masks or surgical masks will not protect you from these chemicals. To be effective, respirators must be used correctly. Learn more about respirators and pregnancy. Talk to your doctor and your employer if you think you might need to use a respirator.
  • Wear safety glasses and chemical aprons.
  • Wash any formaldehyde off your skin and change your clothes after work.
  • Open windows and doors, and use external ventilation systems to reduce the concentration of vapors in the room.
  • Clean drips and spills quickly using formaldehyde neutralization pads or sheets.
  • If you are working with tissues, cadavers, or animal specimens preserved using formalin, rinse the specimen in water to remove excess formalin before beginning dissection. Keep the formalin solution under a chemical fume hood or in another room while in the lab.
  • Some activities will have higher exposures than others. For example, dissections of the chest and abdomen appear to have higher levels of formaldehyde exposure.
  • Remove formaldehyde-contaminated waste from the work area and place it in sealed, labeled containers.

Exposure to excess heat at work could increase your chances of having a baby with a birth defect or other reproductive problems. Here, you can learn more about heat at work and what you can do to reduce your exposure for a healthier pregnancy.

What is excess heat exposure?

• If your job causes your body temperature to become higher than 39°C (102.2°F), you may suffer from heat exhaustion, heat stroke, or dehydration, which are not good for either you or your developing baby.
• If you are pregnant, you are more likely to get heat exhaustion or heat stroke sooner than a nonpregnant worker. This is because your body must work harder to cool down both your body and your unborn baby.
• If you are pregnant, you are also more likely to become dehydrated. This also means you won’t be able to cool yourself as well by sweating.

Why should I be concerned about excess heat exposure?

A mother’s circulation helps protect the developing baby, but in very hot work environments or specific work situations a pregnant woman’s core (internal body) temperature may rise. In some cases, this has been linked to birth defects and other reproductive problems.

Who is exposed to excess heat on the job?

Workers are most commonly exposed to excess heat in:

• Those who work outdoors
• Those working in buildings without climate control during hot weather
• Manufacturing workers, such as those employed in metal fabrication and glass or plastics manufacturing)
• Healthcare workers who perform diathermy therapy
• Cooks and dishwashers in commercial kitchens (e.g. restaurants)
• Fire Fighters

What is not known?

• We don’t know what causes most birth defects and other reproductive problems. If you are exposed to excess heat on the job and have a baby with a birth defect or other reproductive problems, we often can’t tell if it was caused by heat exposure or if it was caused by something else.
• We don’t know what level of heat exposure is safe for every person. Follow guidelines and recommendations for your workplace to eliminate or reduce your excess heat exposure as much as possible.

What can I do to reduce or eliminate exposure?

• Take steps to prevent heat stress, like drinking plenty of fluids and taking breaks in the shade or an air-conditioned area. Avoid hot work environments which do not provide adequate cooling breaks.
• If you work in a hot environment, talk to your doctor or your workplace safety officer to find out how to reduce your risk of heat exhaustion.
• In healthcare, the heat from diathermy therapy is created with nonionizing radiation. If you are pregnant and administering diathermy therapy, you may need to consult with your workplace’s safety officer or contact us to find out if your work duties are safe for you.

Working with or exposure to certain bacteria, viruses, or other infectious agents could increase your chances of having a miscarriage, a baby with a birth defect, or other reproductive problems. Here, you can learn more about these agents and what you can do to reduce your exposure for a healthier pregnancy.

Why should I be concerned about exposure?

• Some infections can pass to a fetus during pregnancy and cause a miscarriage or birth defect.
• Infections like seasonal influenza (the flu) and pneumonia can cause more serious illness in pregnant women.

Which infectious agents can be harmful during pregnancy?

These and other infections can pass to the fetus during pregnancy, or cause more severe illness to a pregnant woman:

• Chicken pox (varicella zoster virus)
• Coccidioidomycosis (Valley Fever)
• Cytomegalovirus (CMV)
• Ebola virus
• Hepatitis B virus (HBV)
• Hepatitis C virus (HCV)
• Hepatitis E virus (HEV)
• Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV)
• Herpes
• Influenza
• Listeria
• Malaria
• Measles
• Parvovirus B19 (Fifth disease)
• Rubella (German measles)
• Toxoplasmosis
• Zika Virus

Who is exposed to infectious agents?

• Healthcare workers
• Veterinary medicine and veterinary service workers
• Childcare workers and teachers
• Tattooists and body piercers
• Laboratory workers

What is not known?

• We don’t know what causes most miscarriages, birth defects, and other reproductive problems. If you work with or are exposed to bacteria, viruses, or other infectious agents and have a miscarriage or a baby with a birth defect, we can’t always tell if it was caused by exposure to these agents or if it was caused by something else.
• We don’t always know what levels of exposure to infectious agents are safe for every person. Follow your workplace guidelines and recommendations to reduce or eliminate your exposure as much as possible.

What can I do to protect myself and reduce or eliminate exposure?

• Make sure your vaccines are up to date. Seasonal influenza (flu) and other illnesses can cause more serious illness in pregnant women.
  • Get your seasonal flu shot. If you are pregnant, you should get the flu shot (inactivated vaccine) and not the nasal vaccine (LAIV, live attenuated nasal vaccine).
  • Do not get the MMR (measles mumps rubella) vaccine during pregnancy. If you are a pregnant healthcare worker who is not vaccinated and not immune, do not work with rubella-infected patients. Rubella infection is dangerous for pregnant women and their babies.
  • Learn more about vaccines for pregnant women.
• Wash your hands often if you are around someone who is sick.
• If you work in healthcare, veterinary medicine and services, or childcare:
  • Follow recommended infection control guidelines (standard precautions) carefully. If you follow these guidelines, you will be generally at no higher risk of catching a harmful infection from a patient than other workers. However, there are exceptions for some pregnant women and some infectious agents. Learn more about infection control in healthcare settings.
  • If you work with patients infected with unusual pathogens or emerging infections, contact us if you would like more information about working with these agents during pregnancy.
  • CDC has issued recommendations that healthcare workers who are pregnant should not provide care for patients with Ebola because of the likely increased maternal and fetal risks. Furthermore, the recommended PPE for care of patients with Ebola may be particularly restrictive and uncomfortable for pregnant healthcare workers.
• If you work in a tattoo or body piercing studio: Follow safe practices in body art.
• If you work in a laboratory:
  • Follow safety guidelines for laboratory workers. These guidelines will help you prevent laboratory-acquired infection when followed correctly. However, pregnant lab workers should handle certain pathogens with special precaution.
  • If you work with unusual pathogens, emerging infections, genetically modified agents, or patients infected with these, you can contact us for more specific information about working with these agents during pregnancy.

Working with lead or other heavy metals could increase your chances of having a miscarriage, a stillbirth, or a child with a birth defect. These metals can also affect a baby’s brain development. Here, you can learn more about lead and other heavy metals and what you can do to reduce your exposure for a healthier pregnancy.

What are heavy metals?

Some examples of heavy metals are:

• Lead
• Cadmium
• Cobalt
• Mercury

Why should I be concerned about exposure?

• Adults and children can become very sick when they have a lot of heavy metals in their body.
• If you have heavy metals in your body, the metals can enter your breast milk. When your baby drinks your breast milk, the heavy metals will enter your baby’s body.

Who is exposed to lead and other heavy metals?

Exposure is most common in people who work in:

• Construction or home renovation workers
• Miners
• Firing range employees or those who do target shooting, such as law enforcement officers
• Smelters
• Stained glass makers
• Battery or electronics recycling workers
• Welders
• Artists

What is not known?

• We don’t know what causes most pregnancy problems or brain development problems. If you are exposed to heavy metals and you have a problem with your pregnancy, we often can’t tell if it was caused by the heavy metals or by something else.
• We don’t know what levels of most heavy metals are safe. Try to reduce or eliminate your exposure as much as possible.

What can I do to reduce or eliminate my exposure?

• At work, metals can get into your body by breathing in dust or fumes or by swallowing them (if you touch the metals and don’t wash your hands before eating). Wash your hands before leaving work, and before eating or smoking
• Avoid bringing the heavy metals into your car or house by changing your clothes and shoes before entering your house. Learn more about take-home exposure.
• Wear personal protective equipment like gloves, protective clothing, or a respirator. Respirators are sometimes worn to reduce the amount of certain chemicals that workers breathe in. To be effective, respirators must be used correctly. If you are pregnant and using a respirator, learn more about respirators and pregnancy. Talk to your doctor and your employer about what types of personal protective equipment you need for your job.
• If you work with lead and are pregnant or breastfeeding, ask your doctor if you should get your blood lead levels tested.

Working in a noisy job when you’re pregnant can affect your hearing and increase your stress levels. When the noise level is very high, like a jackhammer or at a rock concert, it may increase your chances of having a baby with hearing problems. Here, you can learn more about noise at work and what you can do to reduce your exposure for a healthier pregnancy.

Why should I be concerned about noise?

• Increased noise levels can cause stress. This can cause changes in a pregnant woman’s body that can affect her developing baby.
• Sound can travel through your body and reach your baby. Although this sound will be muffled in the womb, very loud noises may still be able to damage your baby’s hearing.
• Hearing protectors (ear plugs or earmuffs) can protect your hearing, but if you’re pregnant the only way to protect your baby’s hearing is to stay away from the loud noise as much as possible.

Who works in noisy jobs?

Many women work in noisy jobs, especially women who work with machines, guns, loud music, crowds of people, sirens, trucks, or airplanes.

What is not known?

• We don’t always know what causes hearing problems in babies. If you work in a noisy job and have a baby with hearing problems, we may not be able to tell if the hearing problems were caused by your job or by something else.
• We don’t know for sure what levels of noise are safe for a pregnant woman and her baby, although experts have suggested guidelines based on what we know about how sounds travel through the body.

What can I do to reduce my hazardous noise exposure?

• Protect yourself from loud noise:
  • You should use hearing protection to protect your own hearing by wearing hearing protection (like ear plugs) if you are exposed to loud noise.
  • For adults, noise that is 85 decibels (dBA) or more can be hazardous to your hearing. At this noise level, you would have to raise your voice to be heard by someone next to you. Most workplace noise levels are less than 95 dBA.
  • While your hearing protection won’t protect your developing baby from loud noise, too much noise can cause you stress. Your stress can cause changes in your body that can affect your developing baby.
  • Ask your supervisor what the noise level is where you work.
• Protect your developing baby from very loud noise:
  • Your hearing protection will not fully protect your developing baby’s ears from noise. Noise travels through the body to the womb. A baby’s ears are mostly developed by about the 20th week of pregnancy, and babies start responding to sounds around the 24th week.
  • Sounds from outside the mother’s body are quieter inside the womb. Based on this, some experts think that pregnant women should not be routinely exposed to noise louder than 115 dBA. This is roughly as loud as operating a chainsaw. Areas that are very loud (more than 115 dBA) should be avoided during pregnancy as much as possible, even if you are wearing hearing protection.
• Noises that you can feel as a rumble or vibration are very low frequency sounds. We do not know for sure if developing babies are affected by this noise, but these sounds travel through your body easily and can cause changes in your body that could affect your developing baby. Avoid this kind of noise if possible.
• Sudden loud noises (impact or impulse noise) that are loud enough for you to need hearing protection or that startle you should be avoided during pregnancy.
• Sounds are stronger to your developing baby when your belly is closer to the source of the noise. Do not lean up against or put your body in contact with a source of noise. You should also avoid leaning against a source of vibration.
• It can be hard to avoid noise at work. Move as far away from the noise as possible or ask your employer if you can work in a quieter job during pregnancy.
• Talk to your doctor about all the potential hazards you have identified at work. Make sure to mention that you are exposed to loud noise.

Exposure to pesticides could increase your chances of having a miscarriage, a baby with birth defects, or other problems. Some pesticides also may be able to pass into breast milk. Here, you can learn more about these chemicals and what you can do to reduce your exposure for a healthier pregnancy.

What are pesticides?

• Pesticides are chemicals used to destroy or control weeds (herbicides), insect pests (insecticides), rodent pests (rodenticides), or fungi (fungicides).
• Pesticides are used in many workplaces, but also used in and around homes, primarily to treat for insects or weeds in the lawn.

Why should I be concerned about exposure?

• Some pesticides have been linked in human studies with problems including miscarriages, birth defects, and learning or developmental disabilities in children.
• Some pesticides also may pass into breast milk.

Who is exposed to pesticides?

• Farmers greenhouse workers
• Veterinarians, veterinary workers, and animal handlers
• Landscapers
• Lawn/pest service providers
• Air crews

What is not known?

• We don’t know what causes most miscarriages, birth defects, and other reproductive problems. If you work with pesticides and have a miscarriage or baby with a birth defect, we often can’t tell if it was caused by exposure to pesticides or if it was caused by something else.
• We don’t know what levels of exposure to pesticides are safe for pregnancy and breastfeeding. Try to reduce or eliminate your exposure as much as possible during pregnancy and breastfeeding.

What can I do to reduce or eliminate exposure?

• If you are pregnant, talk with your employer to see if it’s possible to avoid duties with pesticide exposures during pregnancy and breastfeeding.
• If you cannot avoid working with pesticides during pregnancy or while breastfeeding, here are some ways to reduce exposure:
  • Avoid directly applying pesticides, if possible. Ask someone else to apply the pesticides for you.
  • Wear protective clothing (like gloves and protective clothing) to avoid contact with pesticides and their residues. If you use sprays or fumigants, you may want to consider a respirator. Respirators are sometimes worn to reduce the amount of certain chemicals that workers breathe in. To be effective, respirators must be used correctly. If you are pregnant and using a respirator, learn more about respirators and pregnancy and talk to your doctor and your employer if you think you might need respiratory protection.
  • Carefully read and follow the instructions on the label for any pesticides you use. People and pets have become very sick, sometimes requiring hospitalization, after using household or work pesticides incorrectly.
  • Avoid entering areas where pesticides have been applied for at least as long as the pesticide label tells you to wait.
  • Pesticides can be carried into the home on shoes and clothing. Find tips on reducing take-home exposure, and ask that others in your household do the same.

Heavy lifting, standing for long periods of time, or bending a lot during pregnancy could increase your chances of miscarriage, preterm birth, or injury during pregnancy. High physical demands at work have also been associated with menstrual disorders, which might reflect reduced fertility. Here, you can learn more about physical factors and what you can do to reduce your exposure for a healthier pregnancy.

What are physical demands?

Physical factors can include:

• Lifting heavy objects (e.g., health care workers moving patients)
• Standing for long periods of time
• Repeatedly bending at the waist

Why should I be concerned about physical demands?

• Normal everyday physical activities aren’t a cause for concern, and moderate exercise during pregnancy with your doctor’s approval can help promote a healthy pregnancy.
• Jobs involving very high physical demands, for example bending at the waist more than 20 times per day or lifting objects more than once every 5 minutes, may increase risks for some adverse birth outcomes:
  • We know that prolonged standing or heavy lifting can cause an increased chance of miscarriage or preterm delivery (premature birth).
  • Pregnant women are at higher risk of an injury while lifting due to differences in posture, balance, and an inability to hold things close to the body because of her changing size.
  • Changes in a pregnant woman’s hormones have an effect on ligaments and joints in the spine (to accommodate the developing baby). These same changes can also make a pregnant woman more prone to injury from lifting heavy objects or patients.
  • This is a concern even before a woman “looks” pregnant or before she starts to show.

What jobs commonly involve high physical demands?

Many types of jobs can involve physical factors, including:

• Healthcare workers
• Manufacturing workers
• Construction crews
• Service workers
• Flight attendants
• Firefighters
• Childcare providers and teachers
• Farm and greenhouse workers
• Law enforcement officers

What is not known?

• We don’t know what causes most menstrual disorders, miscarriages or preterm births. If your work involves physical labor and you have a menstrual disorder, a miscarriage or a preterm birth, we often can’t tell if it was caused by the physical work from your job or if it was caused by something else.
• For each woman, we don’t know what amount of heavy lifting, prolonged standing, or prolonged bending is safe during pregnancy. It depends partially on each woman’s health, normal physical activity, and stage of pregnancy. Talk to your doctor about what level of strenuous physical activity is appropriate for you

What can I do to reduce or eliminate exposure?

• Discuss these recommendations for lifting during pregnancy with your doctor.
• If you are pregnant and working, you may want to reduce or avoid:
  • Repeatedly stooping, bending, or squatting
  • Lifting heavy objects from the floor or below mid-shin
  • Lifting overhead
  • Standing for a long time
• If you are pregnant and work in a physically demanding job, you may benefit from sitting down during breaks.

Exposure to ionizing radiation at work could increase your chances of having reproductive problems, including having a baby with a birth defect. Here, you can learn more about ionizing radiation and what you can do to reduce your exposure for a healthier pregnancy.

What is ionizing radiation?

• Ionizing radiation is what people usually think of as ‘radiation.’ It is both naturally occurring and man-made.
• The most common types of ionizing radiation include alpha and beta particles, gamma rays, and X-rays.
• Ionizing radiation is used in many ways, including manufacturing processes, electric power production, and in medicine to kill cancer cells.

Why should I be concerned about ionizing radiation?

Ionizing radiation is a known reproductive hazard. It has been linked to birth defects and other reproductive problems.

Who is exposed to ionizing radiation at work?

• Healthcare and veterinary workers who are:
  • Caring for patients who have been treated with Iodine-131 or other nuclear medicine radioactive materials
  • Assisting with fluoroscopy procedures
  • Working around portable X-ray machines in medical, dental, or veterinary offices.
• Certain industrial and laboratory workers
• Aircrew (flight attendants and pilots)

What is not known?

• We don’t know what causes most miscarriages, birth defects, and other reproductive problems. If you are exposed to ionizing radiation at work and have a baby with a birth defect or other reproductive problems, we often can’t tell if it was caused by exposure to ionizing radiation or if it was caused by something else.
• We don’t know what level of ionizing radiation is safe for every person. Follow your workplace guidelines and recommendations to reduce your excess ionizing radiation exposure as much as possible.

What can I do to reduce or eliminate exposure?

• Exposure to ionizing radiation is well regulated in most US workplaces. Guidelines are in place for pregnant workers and should be followed closely.
• The best first step is to talk to your supervisor and the workplace radiation safety officer, or to your state’s department of radiation protection. A radiation protection expert can give you guidance about radiation in your specific workplace, and what the regulations are.
• Aircrew are exposed to ionizing radiation at levels which may be of concern during pregnancy.

If you are pregnant, exposure to nonionizing radiation is usually not hazardous to you or your unborn baby. However, there are some specific workplaces using nonionizing radiation that could increase your chances of having a baby with a birth defect or other reproductive problems. Here, you can learn more about nonionizing radiation and what you can do to reduce your exposure for a healthier pregnancy.

What is nonionizing radiation?

• Radiation that has enough energy to move atoms around or cause them to vibrate, but not enough to remove electrons, is referred to as “nonionizing radiation.”
• Examples of this kind of radiation are radio waves, visible light, and microwaves.

Why should I be concerned about nonionizing radiation?

• If you are pregnant, most common exposures to nonionizing radiation are not considered hazardous to you or your unborn baby. However, in some work situations, you may need help to find out if your work with nonionizing radiation is safe during pregnancy. Nonionizing radiation can cause internal body heating, which can be hazardous to a developing baby.

Who is exposed to nonionizing radiation at work?

• Many workers are exposed to common sources of nonionizing radiation at work. Microwave ovens, computer screens, and cell phones use nonionizing radiation at exposure levels that are considered safe.
• Some healthcare workers (diathermy operators) and certain industries use nonionizing radiation at higher levels.

What is not known?

• We don’t know what causes most birth defects and other reproductive problems. If you are exposed to high levels of nonionizing radiation at work and have a baby with a birth defect or other reproductive problems, we can’t tell if it was caused by nonionizing radiation or if it was caused by something else.
• We don’t know what level of nonionizing radiation is safe for every person. For workers exposed to higher levels of nonionizing radiation, detailed information may be needed to estimate exposure levels. Follow your workplace guidelines and recommendations to reduce your excess ionizing radiation exposure as much as possible.

What can I do to reduce or eliminate exposure?

• For industry and diathermy applications, nonionizing radiation levels can be high or low depending on where the radiation source is and other properties of the radiation source. Detailed information may be needed to estimate exposure levels. For more information, consult your workplace safety officer or contact us.
• Nonionizing radiation from cell phones, computer screens, and microwaves in good condition is not a risk to pregnancy.

Working in an area where you regularly breathe secondhand smoke during pregnancy can increase your chances of having a baby with low birthweight. Here, you can learn more about secondhand smoke and what you can do to reduce your exposure for a healthier pregnancy.

What is secondhand smoke?

• Secondhand smoke is the smoke that comes from either a burning cigarette or cigar, or from someone breathing out smoke when they are smoking.
• It contains chemicals that can make you sick, including polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs), which have caused cancer and birth defects in animals.

Why should I be concerned about exposure?

• One in 10 American workers say they regularly breathe in secondhand smoke while working.
• We know that regular exposure to secondhand smoke can cause cancer, heart disease, stroke, and lung problems in adults. It can also cause low birthweight in a baby if the mother regularly breathes in secondhand smoke.
• Secondhand smoke can stay on your clothes, which can expose your baby during breastfeeding if your baby touches your clothes.

Who is exposed to secondhand smoke?

• The most common jobs where pregnant women are exposed to secondhand smoke include restaurant and bar workers, casino workers, and hotel workers.
• Outdoor workplaces and working in a private home are usually not covered by smoke-free laws.
• Many states, cities, and workplaces do not allow smoking in indoor workplaces.

What is not known?

• We don’t know what causes most cases of low birthweight. If you regularly breathe in secondhand smoke and have a baby with a low birthweight, we often can’t tell if it was caused by secondhand smoke or if it was caused by something else.
• We don’t know what levels of secondhand smoke are safe. Try to reduce or eliminate your exposure as much as possible.

What can I do to reduce or eliminate my exposure?

• It can be hard to avoid breathing in secondhand smoke in your job. The best solution is for your employer, city, or state to create a policy or law that does not allow smoking in the workplace. Talk to your employer, your employee representative, or your mayor or Congressperson about creating smoke-free workplaces.
• Secondhand smoke can stay on your clothes. If you are exposed to secondhand smoke and you are breastfeeding your infant, change your clothes before breastfeeding.

Smoke from fires, engines, or from spending a lot of time frying or grilling results in exposure to carbon monoxide and other chemicals, which could increase your chances of pregnancy problems. Here, you can learn more about smoke and what you can do to reduce your exposure for a healthier pregnancy.

What are byproducts of burning?

Smoke contains several hazardous chemicals, including:

• Gases, including carbon monoxide (also called CO), a gas that is especially toxic and dangerous for a developing baby.
• Solid chemicals or mixtures of chemicals in very fine particles (particulates).
• Chemicals called polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAHs). Several types of PAHs have been linked to tumors and birth defects in animal studies.

What do we know about exposure to byproducts of burning?

• We know that very high levels of carbon monoxide in a pregnant woman can result in problems with a baby’s nervous system, or can result in miscarriage or birth defects. This happens at high levels in which a pregnant woman may lose consciousness. Levels this high are unlikely to happen in most workplaces.
• We do not know whether lower levels of exposure, such as those you experience in your workplace, will affect a developing baby.
• We also do not know whether keeping carbon monoxide exposures under the limits set by OSHA and other agencies is enough to protect a developing baby. These limits were not set specifically for pregnant women, but for healthy adult workers.
• You can be exposed to smoke byproducts by breathing smoke in.
• Grilling or frying in a commercial kitchen, such as a restaurant, involves much higher exposure to burning byproducts than cooking at home. Cooking at home is generally not harmful to your pregnancy. Increasing ventilation by opening a window or using a fan while cooking at home will help keep your home healthy.

Who is exposed to byproducts of burning?

• Fire fighters
• Pottery studio employees
• Automobile service workers
• Some manufacturing process workers
• Toll booth operators
• Restaurant or bar workers

What can I do to reduce or eliminate exposure?

• If you are pregnant, talk with your employer to see if it’s possible to increase ventilation in your workplace or avoid exposure to byproducts of burning on a temporary basis during pregnancy.
• If you work with smoke in a small indoor space, you may need respiratory protection. Respirators are sometimes worn to reduce the amount of certain chemicals that workers breathe. To be effective, respirators must be used correctly. If you are pregnant and using a respirator, there are some things you should consider. Learn more about respirators and pregnancy, and talk to your doctor and your employer if you think you might need respiratory protection.
• Make sure that you are not bringing chemicals home on your work clothing or shoes. Change clothes and shoes before leaving work and wash these clothes separately if your company does not offer a work clothing laundry service.

Exposure to some organic solvents could increase your chances of having a miscarriage, stillbirth, preterm birth, a low birth weight baby, or a baby with a birth defect. Many solvents also pass into breast milk. Here, you can learn more about what you can do to reduce your exposure for a healthier pregnancy.

What are organic solvents?

These are organic chemicals, usually liquids, that are used in many workplaces.

Solvents are chemicals, usually liquids, used to dissolve other substances. Some common solvents that might have adverse health effects include perchloroethylene, benzene, toluene, turpentine, methyl acetate, hexane, chloroform, and xylene.

Why should I be concerned about exposure?

Not all solvents are hazardous to you or your pregnancy, but some studies have linked certain solvents with birth defects, miscarriages, low birth weight, and preterm birth. The studies linking solvents to these problems are limited and results differ because workers may use more than one solvent at a time and it is hard to know which solvent is causing a problem, but many solvents containing carbon (called organic solvents) or chlorine (called chlorinated solvents) have been linked to some level of increased reproductive risk. Many solvents also pass into breast milk.

Who is exposed to solvents?

• Laboratory workers
• People who work in printing shops
• Painters
• Dry cleaners
• Metalworkers
• Oil and chemical industry workers
• Artists
• Cosmetologists, beauticians, and nail salon technicians

What is not known?

• We don’t know what causes most miscarriages, birth defects, and other reproductive problems. If you work with solvents and have a miscarriage or baby with a birth defect, we often can’t tell if it was caused by exposure to solvents or if it was caused by something else.
• Guidelines for safe levels of exposure to some solvents have been developed (OSHA PELs and NIOSH RELs) but these were developed for normal adult non-pregnant workers. Most solvents do not have guidelines for exposure limits.
• Often we don’t know what levels of exposure to certain solvents are safe. If you work with solvents, talk to your doctor about your working conditions or contact us.

What can I do to reduce or eliminate exposure?

• If you are pregnant, talk to your employer to find out what solvents are used in your workplace. If the solvents you work with might be hazardous to your health or pregnancy, or you aren’t sure if they might be hazardous, talk to your doctor or contact us.
• If you work with solvents that might be hazardous to your health or your pregnancy, see if it’s possible to avoid duties with solvent exposure during pregnancy and breastfeeding. If this is not possible, there are ways you can reduce exposure:
  • Increase ventilation as much as possible. Open a window or a door to bring in fresh air while using these products if possible.
  • Avoid breathing solvent vapors, skin contact, or splashing near your eyes or mouth.
  • Find out what solvents are in use, and wear the right personal protective equipment (PPE).
  • If you get a solvent on your skin or clothes, wash your skin or change your clothing as soon as you can.
  • If you are working with solvents in a laboratory, identify a certified ventilation hood and use it correctly for solvent work.
• Keep in mind that smelling or not smelling a chemical doesn’t mean you are safe or not safe. Harmful levels of chemicals cannot always be smelled, and some much less hazardous chemicals have an odor.
• Solvents can be carried into the home on shoes and clothing.

Working at night and working long hours have been related to menstrual disorders, miscarriages, and preterm birth. Here, you can learn more about work schedules and shift work and what you can do about your work schedule for a healthier pregnancy.

What are work schedule issues?

• Working during the night, or working during your normal sleeping hours
• Shift work includes working nights or rotating day, evening and/or night shifts
• Irregular shifts and jet lag
• Working long hours

Why should I be concerned about my work schedule?

• Working at night, during your normal sleep hours, can change your circadian rhythms, which regulates your menstrual cycle and your pregnancy hormones.
• Shift work and long working hours have been related to menstrual disorders, miscarriages, and preterm birth.
• Women who work at night, or who work long hours, often do not get enough sleep.

Who works long hours and rotating or night shifts?

• The number of hours Americans work each week is more than Japan and most of western Europe.
• 15 million Americans work full-time on evening shift, night shift, rotating shifts, or other irregular schedules.
• 30% of American workers get less than six hours of sleep per night, on average.
• Healthcare workers, flight attendants and pilots, law enforcement workers, and workers in the service industry commonly work long hours and rotating or night shifts.

What is not known?

• We don’t know what causes most cases of menstrual disorders, miscarriages or preterm birth. If you work shift work or long hours and have a menstrual disorder, miscarriage or preterm birth, we often can’t tell if it was caused by your work schedule or if it was caused by something else.
• We don’t know what amount of night shifts or how many hours per week are safest to work during pregnancy.

What can I do to make my work schedule better?

• If possible, avoid working during normal sleep time during pregnancy.
• Good sleep hygiene (sleep practices and habits) is always important, but especially for shift workers.
• The health effects of long or irregular work schedules may be partly due to stress. Trying to reduce stress and improve your ability to handle stress (resilience) may help. Some ways to improve your resilience include relaxation, exercise, and following a healthy diet.