Is it Safe To Have Termites Exterminated While I’m Pregnant?
During pregnancy it is important to stay away from any kind chemicals as they are known to be harmful to the developing fetus. As for the pesticides used to exterminate the termites, there are no human studies done to show the harmful effects of the pesticides during pregnancy. Still, it is recommended for a pregnant woman to stay away while the extermination is taking place.
The Harmful Effects Of pesticides In A Pregnant Women
It is dangerous to expose the developing fetus to any kind of pesticide, especially in the first few months when the development has just begun. Though no human studies have been done regarding this, but few women who went through termite extermination while pregnant, found that the baby developed Neuroblastoma, a form of infant cancer. Apart from this, long exposure to pesticides lead to moderate risks of oral clefts, neural tube defects, heart defects and lung defects.
Points To Remember While extermination Of Termites
The safest thing to do is to stay away from the house while the extermination is going on. The expectant mother should return at least one or two days after the period the exterminator has spelled out.
Another measure one can take is asking the exterminator about the safest chemicals they to use and also their method of application. Usually for termite extermination a product called Termidor is used which has around 9.1% of Fipronil as the only active ingredient. There have been a number of animal studies with fipronil which have not shown any cause of defects on development of fetus. Apart from that, nowadays there are a number of natural termite control solutions which are known to be safe for humans.
Avoid extermination of termites during the first 3 months of pregnancy, because at this stage the neural tube and nervous system will have its developments. Thus, it is advisable for the mother to stay away from the spot of extermination if she has conceived recently.
It is important to keep the rooms well ventilated. The pesticide fumes lingering in the rooms do more harm than good. Hence, after the extermination is over, one should open the windows in order to allow the fumes to pass and make the room safe enough for the expectant mother to enter.
It is important for the mother not to handle or apply the pesticides herself. It should be left to others.Any kind of food or dishes should be removed before pesticides are used in that area.
The bottom-line is that pregnant women should stay away from pesticides, especially in the first trimester. Terminate extermination at this time should be done only if it’s unavoidable and necessary precautions should be taken by the mother as during this time .
