If you’re expecting, is it safe to swim in water treated with chlorine? And what about if you swallow some of the water?
Summer and vacation season is not too far off—swimming is also a brilliant way to exercise and keep joints limber—so it’s a valid question for preggie persons: is chlorine in pools safe?
The good news is that the general consensus gives a thumbs-up: there is no established evidence indicating a risk of swimming in a chlorinated pool. If anything, it’s more risky swimming in a body of water without the disinfecting benefit of chlorine.
The small number of studies on the subject have focused on THM levels, referring to the presence of trihalomethanes, chemical by-products in chlorinated water. A study from Taiwan in 2008 concluded “no consistent association between exposure and risk of birth defects in general.”
A British study also examining effects of THM levels on pregnancy, found similarly “inconsistent and inconclusive” results. Phew!
In short, get those stretchy swimsuits at the ready—swimming in chlorine-treated pools is both safe, and recommended, for keeping burgeoning bumps fit and cool.
Via Madeformums.
