What Pregnant Women Need to Know About the Gulf Oil Spill

The Gulf Oil Spill continues to be one of the worst environmental catastrophes ever to affect the U.S.A. It will probably take years to fully comprehend how devastating it really will be to the surrounding environment. In the news, we have seen the pictures of how awful it has been for wildlife in the Gulf area, with sea birds and aquatic life covered in oil. How is it affecting residents of the area, though? Particularly, how is the Gulf Oil Spill of 2010 impacting pregnant women who live in the surrounding area?

The oil released from the BP oil spill does contain dangerous chemicals. It is recommended for everyone, but especially pregnant women, to avoid the oil. According to the CDC, the toxic levels in the spilled oil are within acceptably safe levels. However, there is still a risk, and they should be avoided. This means that pregnant women living along the Gulf Coast should spend less time at the beach than normal, and should especially avoid anywhere where there is oil visible from the shore or there is oil in the water and/or sand. If in doubt, stay out of the water.

The Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) is constantly checking the safety of the water in the Gulf Area and offering safety guidelines, so you can check with them for information about your specific area. If you accidentally come into contact with anything polluted with the oil, you should wash immediately and thoroughly, and discuss it with your midwife or doctor.

Although there is a great need for clean up in the area, pregnant women should not participate in the clean-up efforts in the Gulf Area. It may be wise for their partners to avoid the areas affected by the oil spill as well. Repeated and prolonged contact heighten the risks to the mother and developing baby, so any contact that forces exposure to the oil spill area should be avoided.

In addition to the pollution in the water, the BP Oil Spill and subsequent containment efforts have caused air pollution as well. The burning of the oil has released further pollutants into the air surrounding the Gulf of Mexico. Residents in surrounding states, especially near the Louisiana coast, may be able to smell the oil, or may be breathing trace amounts of fumes without realizing it. As a safety precaution, pregnant women should run the air conditioner in their homes on a setting that recycles the air within the house rather than pulling air from outside. If there are fumes in the area, then you may want to buy a home air purifier as well. Although it should not be necessary, a N95 air mask can be useful to filter the smell and chemicals. It can be worn when outdoors.

Expecting women should also avoid eating seafood caught in the Gulf of Mexico. Many areas have already been closed for fishing, and so fish and other sealife caught there cannot legally be sold. As a precaution, though, it is best to avoid any food caught there.

The Gulf Oil Spill is a huge disaster, and can be worrying for local pregnant women. However, by using common sense to avoid the spill, women can minimize the risk and should be able to have a normal and healthy pregnancy.

Sources:

"Gulf Oil Spill Information for Pregnant Women", Emergency Preparedness and Response, Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC)

"Can the Gulf Oil Spill Harm Babies in the Womb?", Life's Little Mysteries Staff, Yahoo! News