This sheet is about exposure to insect repellents in a pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider. What are insect repellents? Insect repellents are lotions, sprays, or oils that are put on skin or clothing to lower the chance of bites from mosquitoes, flies, ticks, and spiders (“insects”). Insects can carry serious diseases such as malaria, Lyme disease, West Nile virus, and Zika virus. Some insect …
The Baby Blog: Other Common Exposures
Exercise
This sheet talks about exercise in a pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider. Is exercise safe for all pregnant women? The American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) recommends that women without medical or pregnancy complications consider at least 30 minutes of moderate exercise on most days, if not all, days of the week. You may not be able to exercise while pregnant if you …
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)
This sheet talks about exposure to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and the use of contrast media for MRI in pregnancy and breastfeeding. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider. What is Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI)? Magnetic resonance imaging, known as MRI, is a medical procedure used to create very clear pictures of the inside of your body to diagnose certain diseases or conditions. MRI does NOT use ionizing radiation like an …
Capsaicin
This sheet talks about exposure to capsaicin in pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider. What is capsaicin? Capsaicin is the part of peppers (Solanaceae family, capsicum genus) that make your mouth feel hot. Capsaicin is generally recognized as safe by the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) for use in food and candy. Capsaicin is also the main ingredient in pepper spray used for …
DEET (N,N-ethyl-m-toluamide)
This sheet talks about exposure to DEET in a pregnancy and while breastfeeding. This information should not take the place of medical care and advice from your healthcare provider. What is DEET? DEET (N,N-ethyl-m-toluamide or m-DET) is the active ingredient in many common brands of insect repellent. Most repellents contain 10-25% DEET, but some products contain up to 99% DEET. DEET is the most effective and well-studied insect repellent on the market. DEET is particularly effective in …
