Pregnancy and the computer

Is a computer harmful for pregnant women? Doctors and medical specialists do not yet have a unified opinion on this matter. There are several reasons for this. Firstly, it is difficult to draw conclusions about the influence of a computer on pregnancy in such a short period of time and establish whether a computer is harmful to the expectant mother and her baby or not. Secondly, computer technologies are rapidly developing, new models of computer equipment are constantly appearing, and today people work on completely different computers than, say, ten years ago. How can medical research keep up with rapid technological progress?

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The Impact of Computer on Pregnancy

To date, there is no reliable information on the topic of an increase in the risk of miscarriage due to computer exposure, an increase in the frequency of defects in the formation and development of the baby, the likelihood of pathologies, placental abruption, etc. A computer monitor does create electromagnetic and electrostatic fields, but they do not affect the genetic apparatus in any way, and there is no relationship between them and possible mutations in human cells, at least this is what official science currently claims. It is quite possible that this data will not undergo changes in the process of development of scientific thought.

But the harm of working at a computer can be considered not only from the point of view of possible radiation, but also in terms of lifestyle and type of activity. And in this case, some other aspects that affect the female body during pregnancy can be revealed. We will consider these points further.

Computer Harm and Pregnancy

Pregnancy is characterized by changes in blood circulation, and this, naturally, affects the eyes and their functioning. This is fraught with changes in the fundus, myopia may occur or begin to progress if it has already been observed in the expectant mother. The strain on a woman's eyes during pregnancy already increases, so working at a computer can aggravate these processes.

Working at a computer requires a sitting position, which causes blood stagnation in the pelvis. The organs in the abdominal cavity, especially the uterus, are supplied with less blood, and metabolic processes slow down. This leads to the fact that blood flows worse to the developing fetus, and this is not a very good situation.

During pregnancy, hemorrhoids often develop or worsen. Due to the formation and growth of the fetus, the uterus increases in size over time during pregnancy, taking up most of the abdominal cavity. This usually results in the upward displacement of the movable organs and the pressing of the rectum to the pelvis. Due to the compression of the venous vessels, the carvenous bodies are overfilled with blood and, as a result, hemorrhoids are formed.

And a sitting position while working at a computer is a significant risk factor for developing hemorrhoids even for an ordinary person, not to mention pregnant women, for whom the above-mentioned conditions also play a role.

During pregnancy, weight inevitably increases, the body's center of gravity shifts forward, and the load on the pregnant woman's spine increases significantly. In addition, expectant mothers often suffer from calcium deficiency in the body. Sitting while working with a computer, and even more so an uncomfortable posture due to improper organization of the workspace, which is quite common, pose a threat to the development of osteochondrosis and other diseases that the spine and joints may be exposed to. The last weeks of pregnancy are especially dangerous in this regard. Such a phenomenon as back and lower back pain is familiar to almost all pregnant women.

Working on a computer, especially in an office, means that the expectant mother will have to spend a long time in a poorly ventilated room. And oxygen is very important for the health of both the mother and her future child.

The psychological state of the mother is also important during pregnancy, and work, both in general and on the computer in particular, is fraught with constant stress. Therefore, pregnant women should evaluate the potential for creating stress in the workplace and decide whether to work during pregnancy, including on the computer.

Preventing computer harm during pregnancy

Of course, ideally, a pregnant woman should minimize the time spent at the computer. But if such a need or desire is still present, it is worthwhile to organize your time at the computer as much as possible and take preventive measures to minimize the harm from the computer for a pregnant woman.

• Properly organize your workplace, make it convenient and comfortable, and maintain the correct working posture.
• Observe the work and rest regime. Spend as little time as possible at the computer, take breaks from work for at least fifteen minutes, during this time it is good to do exercises for the neck, hands, eyes, stretch, combine this with special exercises for pregnant women. The ideal option is to go out into the fresh air during breaks. When working, change your position, move your shoulders, arms, head.

Try to limit the time spent at the computer to a minimum. Take 15-minute breaks from work every hour, during these breaks be sure to stand up, stretch, walk around, do some light physical exercises (tilts and turns of the head, exercises for the hands, stretching). If the environment allows, do a special set of exercises for pregnant women. It is very useful to leave the room during the break, breathe fresh air. And during work as often as possible, every 10-15 minutes, change your position, move your shoulders, legs, head.

In general, the computer itself does not cause any harm to the health of a pregnant woman and her future baby. Only improper organization of the work process can cause some discomfort and contribute to the development of unwanted diseases. In order to avoid unwanted consequences of working at the computer, it is important for a pregnant woman to follow a set of preventive measures. Then working at the computer will not be able to affect the pregnancy in any way.