Scuba Dividing While Pregnant? Is it OK?

Would you Scuba Dive while pregnant?

As with anything you do there is always a certain amount of risk and scuba diving while pregnant is no different. Apparently the jury is still out on the answer to this question. The study on this issue are somewhat inconclusive.

It is generally thought that the effects of concentrated oxygen caused by pressure could trigger  defects in developing fetuses. Furthermore, it is felt that the potential for decompression sickness could have adverse effects on the developing fetus due to its inability to filter out nitrogen through its lungs as the blood supply bypasses the lungs and relies on the placenta for oxygen.

Read on for more details about scuba diving while pregnant.

The question of whether or not women should dive while pregnant has a simple answer: both the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists and the Divers Alert Network (DAN) recommend no scuba diving for the duration of the pregnancy. This article aims to explain a little bit more about the potential risks and complications, and shed some light onto why it’s thought that diving and pregnancy don’t mix. It’s worth pointing out that although it’s unwise to dive once you know you’re expecting, those women who unwittingly dive during the first few weeks of their pregnancy should not panic — the general consensus is that diving at this early stage should have no serious ramifications on the developing fetus. It’s hard to know the precise effects of diving past those first few weeks, as there is no experimentation on pregnant women for obvious reasons. The advice of medical organizations like DAN is therefore based on anecdotal evidence, surveys of women who have dived while pregnant, and studies carried out on animals. Due to the sometimes-biased nature of surveys and the differences between animal and human anatomy, there are flaws in the research on diving and pregnancy, and much unsubstantiated conjecture. However, the fact that diving might pose a risk to an unborn child is a good enough reason to stay out of the water.

Read the full article here on ScubaDiverLife.com

Watch the following video for additional pregnancy tips as well.