As long as the temperature setting is not too high, electric blankets are safe to use during pregnancy. In general, this means a temperature that is high enough to keep you warm but not so high that it burns you or causes your temperature to rise.
Is using an electric blanket while pregnant safe?
While using an electric blanket while pregnant is safe, there are several things to keep in mind, the most essential of which is to avoid overheating.
While heated blankets, which contain electrical heating wires and may get quite hot, have been determined to pose no risk to pregnant women, elevating your core body temperature to over 101 degrees Fahrenheit can be risky for your developing baby. It’s critical not to use a heated blanket for an extended period of time or on a high setting. (This is why hot baths and saunas aren’t recommended during pregnancy.)
It’s best to use a heated blanket on the low or medium setting to minimize overheating. Don’t use it for too long, and if you feel yourself getting too hot, stop and take a break.
To minimize overheating while sleeping, don’t fall asleep with your heated blanket on. If you’re concerned about falling asleep with your blanket on, turn it on before bed to warm up the bed, then turn it off once your sheets are nice and toasty.
According to a study, using an electrically heated blanket during conception and early pregnancy may increase the risk of miscarriage marginally, although there is no increased risk between 8 and 16 weeks pregnant. As a result, it’s advised to avoid using a heated blanket while attempting to conceive and throughout the first few months of your pregnancy.
Non-heated blankets, extra layers of clothing, and heating pads are all options for warming up without a heated blanket (though still take care to not overheat yourself with those).
Blankets that have been electrically heated emit a very low frequency electromagnetic field (EMF). Other household appliances, power lines, computers, televisions, cellphones, and other devices are all affected in the same way. The World Health Organization (WHO) has determined that there is no evidence that low-level electromagnetic field exposure causes any health issues.
According to the WHO, regular exposure to electromagnetic fields, such as when using an electrically heated blanket, isn’t harmful to a pregnant woman it doesn’t cause miscarriage, birth deformities, low birth weight, or sickness.
Is it OK for me to use a heated mattress pad while I’m pregnant?
It’s fine to use a heating pad to relieve aches and pains in your back, hips, and joints caused by pregnancy. However, do not use it for more than 20 minutes. Begin with the lowest setting and ensure that you do not fall asleep while using it. You can also use a hot water bottle or a microwaveable heat pack.
When it comes to your abdomen, stay away from heating gadgets. While some belly discomfort is natural, be on the lookout for indicators of a problem.
If you have any questions or concerns about using heating pads throughout your pregnancy, talk to your doctor.
Who shouldn’t have access to an electric blanket?
Greetings, Doctor For warmth, my wife and I use an electric blanket. Is it harmful to your health if you use it too late at night?
Dear Sir or Madam, Given the harsh weather that froze large parts of the country this winter, including many normally temperate locations, it’s not unexpected that electric blankets have been deployed. Your concern regarding device safety mirrors the concerns of many readers.
Overheating the body inadvertently is one of the dangers of utilizing electric blankets. When it comes to an infant or someone who is unable to move, electric bedding should never be used.
Neuropathy is caused by damage to the peripheral nerves and can be caused by a variety of medical disorders, including diabetes. Pain, tingling, and prickling sensations are frequent symptoms of neuropathy in the feet and hands. It may also cause numbness. Any of these symptoms can cause an individual’s sensitivity to heat to be compromised, especially during sleeping. As a result, it’s possible to overheat when sleeping with an electric blanket, or even get burned in locations where the equipment is in direct touch. While there have been a few instances throughout the years of people dying from heat stroke as a result of sleeping with an electric blanket, these cases are extremely unusual.
The impact of heated blankets on sleep is less striking, but nonetheless significant. Several studies have revealed that when we sleep, our core body temperature lowers a few degrees. A lower body temperature has also been associated to a faster onset of sleep and greater sleep quality. Electric blankets may disrupt sleep by generating a constantly heated atmosphere that disrupts the body’s nightly temperature cycles.
The matter of electromagnetic fields, or EMFs, appears to be the most contentious aspect of electric blankets. These are energy fields that can be found in both the natural and man-made worlds. Power lines, electric wiring within a home, wireless communication devices and equipment, and electrical appliances, including the electric blanket, all produce EMFs in the built environment. Because our bodies create billions of tiny electrical impulses that can be altered by external EMFs, there is concern that exposure could pose a health risk. Despite the fact that the problem continues to create a plethora of studies and an ocean of ink filled with passionate arguments on both sides, no definitive decision has been reached.
One possible compromise is to preheat the bed using an electric blanket. Turn it on about an hour before you go to bed and turn it off before you get into bed. We think a couple layers of quilts and blankets will keep you warm until dawn after a nice and cozy start to the night. In the interim, make sure your electric blanket is in good working order if you use one. Follow the manufacturer’s instructions for placement, maintenance, and cleaning, and address any potential tripping risks provided by the controls and wires.
What are the risks of using an electric blanket while sleeping?
New electric blankets have a low danger of fire or burns, but older, broken, or carelessly utilized electric blankets can cause fire or burns.
Electric blankets can cause overheating in pregnant women, and several health organizations advise against using them during this time.
Despite numerous research on the link between cancer and the very low frequency electric and magnetic fields (ELF-EMFs) created by electric blankets, no indication of cause and effect has been discovered.
Is it simple to become overheated while pregnant?
Summer heat has a greater impact on some people than on others, and pregnant women are among the most vulnerable to overheating.
What are the risks for expectant moms now that summer is only a week old and heat waves have blanketed Europe and the eastern United States?
Dr. Elizabeth Suzanne Langen, an assistant professor in the University of Michigan’s Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology in Ann Arbor, said, “It’s not unusual to see pregnant women come to the hospital… on a hot summer day.” “Your body is already working hard to keep you and your kid healthy when you’re pregnant, so adding the stress of staying cool can send you over the edge.”
Warm skin, headache, dizziness, muscle cramps, and nausea are all signs of overheating, according to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Heat stroke, heat exhaustion, and dehydration are more likely in pregnant women with a body temperature exceeding 102.2 degrees Fahrenheit.
According to Dr. Alisse Hauspurg, an OB-GYN specialist and assistant professor at the University of Pittsburgh’s Magee-Womens Hospital, dehydration is one of the causes of Braxton Hicks or “practice contractions,” and it can also raise the risk of dizzy spells and fainting.
“If a pregnant woman becomes dizzy and falls, it might lead to more serious issues, such as early labor or placental abruption, requiring an early delivery,” Hauspurg added.
That isn’t to say that pregnant people shouldn’t go outside, she added. When safeguards are taken, exercising is safe.
“We advocate staying hydrated, wearing loose-fitting clothing, and avoiding extreme heat and humidity if women are going to exercise outside for long periods of time,” Hauspurg added. “One of the most important things is to stay hydrated.”
High fever or hot tub use during the first trimester has been linked to alterations in the anatomy of the embryonic heart and neural tube abnormalities, which can result in disorders like spina bifida.
Indeed, a study published in the Journal of the American Heart Association earlier this year revealed that rising temperatures caused by global climate change could increase the number of newborns born with heart abnormalities between 2025 and 2035, with the Midwest experiencing the biggest rise.
Overheating may cause cell death or interfere with particular proteins involved in fetal development during the first trimester, according to animal research.
“Having a temperature of 101 degrees or higher with flu-like symptoms isn’t necessary dangerous for you or your fetus,” Langen added, “but you should visit your doctor.” “Because pregnant women get sick a lot faster than healthy people, we treat fevers in pregnant women a little more aggressively than we would in a healthy person.”
Pregnant women who feel overheated should take the same precautions as everyone else: relocate to a cooler location, drink water, loosen clothing, apply damp cloths to the skin, and sit in a cool bathtub. Those who have vomiting, worsening symptoms, or symptoms that linger more than an hour should seek medical attention right once.
While Langen expects to see overheated pregnant women in the emergency room again this summer, she believes the risk is negligible for the great majority of them.
“The majority of pregnant women are young and healthy,” she explained. “We give them some fluids, assist them in cooling down, and send them on their way. In most cases, everything works out fine.”
Is it possible for a heating pad to trigger a miscarriage?
It is okay to use a heating pad to relieve lower back discomfort, tired muscles, or aching joints when pregnant. A hot water bottle, an electric heating pad, or a microwavable pad loaded with grains like flax or buckwheat can all be used as heating pads.
Hot tubs and saunas are not advised to be used during pregnancy because they can elevate your core body temperature and cause overheating, which can increase your risk of birth abnormalities. However, because a heating pad (or, for that matter, an electric blanket) is unlikely to induce overheating, it is deemed safe.
However, take steps to avoid being overheated. While utilizing your heating pad, avoid putting on layers of clothing or blankets. Pay attention to how you’re feeling in general, and if you’re getting too hot, turn it off and cool down. It’s common practice to only apply ice or heat to a specific location for 20 minutes at a time.
Heating pads that you warm yourself (in a microwave or by filling with hot water) are unlikely to reach a temperature high enough to elevate your core body temperature, especially since they cool down after a short time. To avoid burning your skin, wrap your heating pad in a towel or wear it over your clothing.
If you’re using an electric heating pad, keep it on a low or moderate level and don’t fall asleep with it on, or choose one with an automatic shutoff feature.
When you use an electric heating pad or blanket, you are exposed to low-level electromagnetic fields (EMF). In pregnancy, however, this is not hazardous nor problematic.
Back pain, which is common during pregnancy, is commonly treated with heating pads. Exercise, using a belly band or pregnancy back brace, wearing supportive shoes, bending your knees when lifting objects, and trying to adopt excellent posture when standing or sitting are some other ways to relieve back pain while pregnant. Sleeping on your side with a pillow between your bent knees and a pillow under your tummy is also a good option.
Is it safe to have a hot shower while pregnant?
Make yourself a warm bath if you really need the heat of a hot tub or a steamy shower. The heat will be soothing when you first crawl in. Then, as you lie in the bath, allow the water to cool down so that the temperature does not remain too high for too long.
It’s alright to take a few minutes in a hot shower while you’re pregnant, but don’t stay in the steamy water for too long. If you raise your body temperature too high and for too long, your kid may have catastrophic neurological problems.
Pregnancy Pause: Extreme Heat Linked to Shortened Gestation, Tanya Tillett, Tanya Tillett, Tanya Tillett, Tanya Tillett, Tanya Tillett, Tanya Tillett Volume 119, Issue 10 (October 2011) of Environmental Health Perspectives
Is it safe to use Icy Hot when expecting?
Before you start using Icy Hot, talk to your OB-GYN, just like you would with any other drug you might require during pregnancy.
Even during the first trimester, when most medical professionals agree that specific OTC drugs should be safe to use, physicians haven’t reached a consensus on whether pregnant women should use Icy Hot at all. There haven’t been enough studies on the use of Icy Hot by pregnant women to provide a definitive answer.
The confusion around Icy Hot
While some doctors believe it is acceptable to use Icy Hot as long as it isn’t applied to the belly, others believe it should be avoided. This is why, before using it, you should visit your doctor so that you can make an informed decision. Icy Hot, on the other hand, isn’t considered a restricted chemical, and it’s typically deemed safe to use during pregnancy.
The controversy surrounding Icy Hot stems from the fact that its components can be taken into your circulation and passed on to your unborn child. Methyl salicylate (wintergreen oil), menthol, and camphor are some of the primary components. Wintergreen oil has a cooling effect followed by a warming effect, and menthol and camphor have calming effects.
Wintergreen oil, in particular, is a salicylate, which is the same type of chemical found in aspirin. Wintergreen is generally regarded safe, even for pregnant women, when consumed in the amounts found in foods.
However, there aren’t enough research on its topical usage in pregnant women on a wide scale to demonstrate its safety in bigger doses. However, not all Icy Hot formulations contain methyl salicylate, which further complicates the question of whether this topical therapy is safe to use while pregnant.