Pregnant women have been issued with a new list of don’ts as senior doctors recommend they should consider cutting down on make-up and plastic-wrapped food, among other measures, despite having no evidence of their risks.
The Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists (RCOG) has today published guidelines that are already proving controversial among medical experts and mothers, The Times reports.
The paper recommends cutting out anything that risks exposure to chemicals, while acknowledging there is no direct evidence of harm from everyday chemical exposure.
The college warns women should be made aware of chemicals in food, grooming products and household cleaners.
Expectant mothers should not even think about buying a new car or painting the nursery ahead for their baby’s arrival to avoid risking pregnancy problems like premature birth, birth defects and cognitive difficulties, the paper warns.
Experts have weighed in saying the advice could needlessly scare women and distract them from other issues, but the study’s co-author Michelle Bellingham of the University of Glasgow said that while the researchers didn’t want to scare parents-to-be, expectant mothers should put “safety first” and “assume risk is present even when it may be minimal or eventually proven to be unfounded”.
“We’re not saying if you do this you will definitely have an effect, because we don’t know that … We could sit and wait for evidence before we do anything, but this is more a proactive way,” Ms Bellingham said.
“I hear people screaming ‘you can’t wrap yourself up in a bubble’, which I completely understand because this is everyday life. But these are the ways which, if you choose, you can reduce your exposure.”
Your say: Do you think this advice is over the top? Or is it important to be cautious?
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