Are sunbeds safe in pregnancy?
No one knows for sure whether sun beds are safe during pregnancy. There is no evidence-based research available to confirm that sun beds cause harm to the unborn baby, but it has been reported that a raise in the core temperature of the mother may in turn increase the temperature of the foetus. Having an elevated body temperature during pregnancy (eg in a tanning bed, hot tub, or sauna) has been linked with spinal malformations in developing babies. If this rise in temperature were maintained for long enough it has been suggested that it may also cause brain damage. Your own health needs to be considered too. Generally the advice is to limit sun bed use and exposure to the sun, whether pregnant or not, because of the increased risk of skin damage leading to higher incidences of skin cancer. Tanning beds/booths pose the same dangers as the sun, emitting ultraviolet (UV) radiation, which causes skin cancer. Studies suggest that tanning increases the chance of developing melanoma, which i
