Arizona is HOT, especially in the summer. I knew this when I moved to Tucson almost a decade ago. Since then, I have had two pregnancies while living in Arizona. I was lucky not to have to spend the last weeks of pregnancy and first weeks with my newborn in the summer heat. Of course, Arizona is not the only place experiencing hot weather. 2023 was the planet’s warmest year on record, according to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration. Temperature records have already been …
The Baby Blog: Environment & Natural Disasters
Are you Pregnant (or Breastfeeding) and Affected by a Hurricane?
By Beth Conover, APRN, Beth Kiernan, MPH, and Al Romeo, RN, PhD - MotherToBaby Teratogen Information Specialists From images of buildings destroyed by high wind to families stranded on roof tops by flooding (and the rising death toll), to say that hurricanes can be devastating would be an understatement. At MotherToBaby, we receive questions from moms and moms-to-be in storm-affected areas regarding the potential exposures they may be experiencing as powerful forces of nature wreak havoc on …
Keeping Your Cool during Pregnancy When Fire Season Heats Up
By Kirstie Perrotta, MPH and Sonia Alvarado, MotherToBaby California Like clockwork, wildfire season is upon us yet again. Although the upper Eastern seaboard is currently most affected by smoke drifting south from wildfires in Canada, there’s a good chance that many additional areas within the United States will see plummeting air quality due to wildfire smoke in the coming months. So what do people who are pregnant need to know? Here are some commonly asked questions we receive at …
What’s the Dirt on Household Cleaners When Pregnant?
By Mark B. Roth, MotherToBaby New York As a teratogen information specialist, I receive questions about all sorts of chemicals or substances someone can be exposed to. We often get questions about the bazillions of cleaning products out there. Bleach, powdered cleaners and spray cleaners, degreasers, oven cleaners, disinfectants – there are so many different cleaning products and looking at the ingredients list (if there even is one) can be overwhelming. All those unpronounceable words! Sodium …
When You Don’t Feel Sick: How Lead Poisoning Can Sneak Up on Moms and Kids
By Rogelio Perez D’Gregorio, MD, MS, MotherToBaby UR Medicine Not many people know this, New York is the only state that requires that every pregnant woman have her risk of lead exposure assessed at the first prenatal visit. As a doctor seeing pregnant patients regularly, this is unbelievable to me! Highlighting this topic is particularly appropriate during October as this month we’ll celebrate National Lead Poisoning Prevention Week. This awareness week was created because lead exposure can …
