How dangerous is it to get into a tanning bed when pregnant?
Lots of women find their skin becomes more sensitive during pregnancy, which means you may be more likely to burn in the sun. Changing hormone levels will also make you more prone to skin pigmentation (colouration) – dark, irregular patches of skin called chloasma sometimes appear on the face. This can be a sign that your skin will react more strongly to sunlight, and the chloasma is likely to increase if you sunbathe or use a sunbed. There is currently no clear evidence about the effect of UV rays from sunbeds on an unborn baby. However, early studies show that there may be a link between increased UV rays and a folic acid deficiency. This is because UV rays can break down folic acid. Folic acid is very important in the development of the baby’s neural system (brain and spinal cord), which is formed in the first trimester (weeks 1-13) of pregnancy. If you really want to have a tan while you are pregnant, it is much safer to use fake tan than a sunbed. However, fake tanning when pregna
