Why to Avoid Hot Tubs While Pregnant

When a woman gets pregnant, she must change her lifestyle and avoid doing certain things for the health of the baby. One thing that can harm the baby and should be avoided during pregnancy is the use of a hot tub.

Significance

Hot tubs can cause hyperthermia, which is an extremely high body temperature.

Effects

The water in hot tubs is usually factory programmed at approximately 104º F. It takes 10 to 20 minutes in the hot tub for your body temperature to raise to 102º F or more.

Risks

When a pregnant woman's body temperature becomes too high, this can increase the risk of birth defects or miscarriage.

Time Frame

While it is dangerous to use a hot tub at any time during pregnancy, hot tubs pose the biggest risk to the fetus earlier in pregnancy. If a woman uses a hot tub and gets hyperthermia before the sixth week of pregnancy, this can affect development of the neural tube, which can lead to birth defect spina bifida.

Considerations

If a pregnant woman wants to relax, she should consider running a warm bath, since the temperature of bath water cools rather than being maintained like the water in hot tubs. According to the American Pregnancy Association, a warm bath is fine as long as the water is cooler than 102º F.

References

• Hot Tubs
• Hyperthermia