Health Choices

Owning a hot tub has great social benefits! Having a hot tub can be socially advantageous especially if you want to invite friends over! There are also other benefits derived from have a hot tub.

But is a hot tub or a Jacuzzi a safer proposition to use than a hot tub when you are pregnant?

Is a hot tub or a Jacuzzi a safer proposition to use than a hot tub when you are pregnant?

It seems that the reason behind the recommendation against using hot tubs is to do with body temperature.

A high body temperature in early pregnancy can increase the risk of neural tube defects (abnormalities in the development of the brain or spine of the baby). This applies to people who have a fever when pregnant.

A prolonged and high fever can sometimes lead to problems and sometimes miscarriage in pregnancy.

There is some evidence however that using hot tubs in early pregnancy could increase the risk of miscarrying in addition to neural tube defects. However the evidence of the link is not fully conclusive and the more likely risk is that the baby will have health problems.

Due to this known link with neural tube defects it is recommended by doctors that women should avoid raising their body temperature above 101 degrees Fahrenheit. A hot tub can raise your temperature drastically by being in there not long.

A lot of people like to use different temperatures of the hot tub, but to be safe; you should keep at a healthy heat and not overdo it. If you raise the temperature to a very high level, your skin can end up being damaged and potentially burnt. The general temperature that should be reserved is around 90-100 degrees.

Therefore the consensus of opinion is better to be safe than sorry and avoid using a hot tub during pregnancy.