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Pregnancy and diving
Pregnancy and diving: a temporary contraindication to the practice of the activity.
On this point,J.-P. Bonnin et al. write inScuba diving and underwater environment, accidents, medical aspectsat Masson editions:
“The only real problem for women in diving is pregnancy:
- the risk of bullous accident in the fetus is theoretically possible;
- a decompression accident in the mother surely increases the risk of death of the fetus and the risk of fetal distress;
- during decompression, there is a toxic risk for the fetus due to hyperbaric oxygen therapy;
- placental abruption does not seem impossible;
- malformations were suspected.
Faced with these theoretical risks, the experimental inaccuracies that do not allow us to conclude [carried out on animals with a physiology not very comparable to that of the human species], the small number of statistical studies available in pregnant women divers, we must consider pregnancy as a contraindication to diving (precautionary principle). But if they dive without knowing their condition, they probably run little risk. »
A pregnant woman should therefore not dive.
© Extract fromPleasure Diving booksby Alain Foret at Editions GAP.
Any reproduction prohibited on any medium whatsoever without the written consent of the publisher and the author.