Air Travel during Pregnancy

There is no known harm from occasional air travel during pregnancy. Most airlines do not cause any problems for pregnant women up to 36 weeks of gestation. Some airlines may restrict international flights from earlier weeks and may require documents showing the gestational age. In these cases, the best approach is to call the airline before flying and find out exactly what their pregnant passenger policy is. After 28 weeks of gestation, in any case, it may be good to have a doctor’s report written within the last 1 week stating the gestational age in order to avoid any setbacks.

Air travel is not recommended for pregnant women with any medical or obstetric condition that may cause an emergency. At the same time, the duration of the flight should be taken into consideration when making travel plans. Pregnant women should be informed that most pregnancy emergencies occur during the first and third trimesters.

When the physiological changes of pregnancy are added to in-flight environmental conditions, such as changes in cabin pressure and low humidity, adaptations such as increased heart rate and increased blood pressure and a decrease in aerobic capacity may occur. Prolonged immobilization, especially during long flights, can cause edema in the legs and intravascular coagulation (deep vein thrombosis). Because of the increased risk of venous thromboembolism, especially in pregnancy, legs and feet should be moved periodically (once an hour), even getting up and walking in the airplane, wearing embolism socks, not wearing excessively tight clothes and drinking enough fluids.

Pregnant women should keep their seat belts fastened as long as they remain seated, as it is not always possible to predict whether severe turbulence will occur. Gaseous drinks and foods should be avoided before boarding, as gases will expand at a certain altitude. Patients with pregnancy nausea and vomiting may be offered preventive medical treatment.

Another problem with air travel is the electromagnetic radiation emitted by the sun at high altitude. We know the effects of radiation exposure during pregnancy, but if these flights are not very frequent, this will not matter. On the other hand, radiation exposure will increase for people with occupations such as pilots, stewardesses and cabin attendants and may exceed the recommended limits.

Some advice for pregnant women traveling by plane;

– Ask for aisle-side or mezzanine seats. This will give you more space and comfort. Or you can ask for the wing section. This will also provide a less bumpy ride.
– Fasten your seat belt below the abdomen, crossing the thighs.
– To prevent clotting, get up and walk every hour or, if the “fasten seat belt” warning is on, move your ankles back and forth vigorously and frequently.
– Drink plenty of fluids. The low humidity on board will also cause dehydration.
– Each airline has its own rules for pregnant women. Discuss this before you buy your plane ticket.

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