Pregnancy is a wonderful period of a woman’s life. The good news equally excites the woman as well as her partner and family. Needless to say, there are a lot of apprehensions and confusions in the mother’s mind in this duration, as she is extremely concerned about the safety of the life growing inside her. A lot of questions occupy her mind regarding what are the things that could be potentially harmful to her health. One such debatable point is use of computers during pregnancy.

Myth or fact?

There are numerous controversies related to the use of computers during pregnancy. A lot of researches were conducted in the past but clear results favouring or opposing use of PCs have not been obtained yet. Nevertheless, people continue to do things as per their own convenience in such scenarios. For example, a working woman who spends hours daily in front of the computer cannot suddenly abandon the use, but certainly limit it.

What is potentially dangerous?

There have been some researches which indicate that the electromagnetic radiation from the monitor is harmful to the well-being of the foetus, but to what extent is unknown. Also, the heat from the laptop and computers is considered injurious for the baby.

In 1960-1970s, there was a lot of debate on whether computer use is advisable for soon-to-be mothers. There was an article published in late 1970s which indicated a possible relationship between computers and birth defects, miscarriages. As a result, numerous researches were done, but they were later considered flawed. It has been found out that the monitors (VDUs) emit very low level of non-ionising radiation which is similar to radio and television sets. As a better precautionary measure, one can always get an anti-radiation screen fitted on the monitor.

Other associated risks

As discussed above, the radiation emitted from monitor is harmless. But there are other side effects associated with use of computer, which one must pay heed to. Nowadays, laptops are comparatively more in vogue than personal computers. They can harm the foetus due to overheating and must not be used for prolonged periods of time.

Also, there is an increased risk of developing Carpal tunnel syndrome during pregnancy. This is a problem wherein there is swelling in the Carpal vein which may be the cause of loss of sensation or sharp pain in the wrist. The key is to maintain a good posture and limit computer use as a preventive measure.

Tips

As we all know, excessive use of computers is harmful to anyone, whether one is pregnant or not. The risk becomes manifold during pregnancy as the foetus is delicate.
 

One must limit computer use to not more than 3 hours a day. Computers are today’s necessity and the use cannot be entirely avoided but reduced to a reasonable amount.

Frequent breaks (of around 15 minutes) must be taken to ensure movement of the body and provide rest to the eyes. There is an increased chance of swelling, weight gain if a pregnant woman does not walk at all during the day. Movement is necessary to ensure good blood circulation in the body.

Fluid content of the body should be maintained. Also, while typing wrist pads can be used and good posture must be maintained to avoid Carpal’s syndrome. The chair and computer monitor must be levelled and the back must be well-supported.

Laptops should be placed on desks or thighs and not on belly so that there is a minimal chance of heat reaching the foetus.

Computers simply cannot be avoided in the present day scenario. Thus, its use can be limited up to a certain time limit so that neither the mom nor the baby is affected. Proper care and precautions should be taken and the above written tips should be followed so that the loss due to the use of this device is least. Stress would be much more harmful for the health of the baby and hence one must be confident regarding computer use. The above mentioned tips must be kept in mind for you and our baby’s improved health.