Why exactly should women not dive while pregnant?

[kylianna]

(silly me, I posted this in Women Only, I should have posted it here instead!)

I was wondering WHY women are not supposed to scuba dive while pregnant. I had a lady who was getting certified ask me, and I didn't know the answer, and when I asked the instructor, all he said was "I don't know, they just tell us that you're not supposed to."

Sooo...Help me out here, please?

 

[DocVikingo]

Hi kylianna,

Hard evidence is scant, but the reasons are risk of DCI to the fetus, risk of congenital abnormalities & risk of DCI to the mother.

Just not a wise idea.

DocVikingo

 

[BillP]

Hi kylianna:

You can read the answer to a similar question at:

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?threadid=167

Hope this helps,

Bill

 

[kylianna]

Thank you very much, that does help me to understand quite a bit!

 

[Dr Deco]

Dear kylianna:

Basically, by the time that a woman realizes she is pregnant, the fetus has grown to the point where it is moving and could be generating gas bubbles from decompression. [Before this time, the fetus is too small and gas exchange is too rapid, although one would not dive if they suspected pregnancy.] These bubbles are not filtered out by the lungs, since they are not functional in the unborn child. Additionally, bubble formation could occur in the central nervous system.

There are reasons for believing that exercise during pregnancy is a good idea, but that SCUBA diving is not one of those activities. It is a short time to postpone this recreational activity.

Dr Deco

PS As BillP indicated, more is on an earlier forum.

 

[Laurence Stein DDS]

Not that it make much difference now. In 1983 and 1986 my wife and I took vacations to various dive sites. I have been diving forever but my wife was newly certified.

She couldn't stand gearing up with the suits, BCs, tanks, etc. Worst of all was the smell from the diesel engines. She was glad to get into the water because she was really seasick.

Eight months after each of these dive vacations, a "little bundle of joy appeared. It seems that her seasickness was actually morning sickness! She was pregant both times and wasn't aware until she returned home.

My wife no longer dives(thank goodness--I can't take any more kids)--just the thought of being on a boat rocking back and forth makes her sick. "The Perfect Storm" was agony for her. Even "Titanic" made her sick! I'm not making this up.

 

[Fatimah_Dive_Instructor]

Hi
Got to go with Docvik... and add that there are no studies on the effect of pressure on the placenta. Meaning that while you are diving you might be starving your fetus of blood and everthing that goes with that vital exchange between mother and fetus. Do we as women really want to put the baby at risk.

Fatimah

 

[DocVikingo]

....has oddly been ressurected, I'll take the opportunity to mention that the Nov/Dec '04 issue of DAN's "Alert Diver" contains a discussion of this topic.

Best regards.

DocVikingo

 

[Deb In Venice]

DAN's Alert Diver Magazine just had an article about diving and pregnancy. That article is not on their website yet but here is a link to another article.

Pregnancy FAQ

 

[emtdan]

Just an idea.... could it also have something to do with the pressure on the uterus, as well as the baby at lets say 2ATM...?