shooting while pregnant
to my fellow THR colleagues,
it is easy to find opinions;
wisdom is harder to come by.
i thought i learned my lesson previously. [right, Pax?]
suffice it to say that i am indeed an OB/GYN (no, really)
(my contact info is below, feel free to verify).
and a shooter--
i have other creds as well, but i doubt they make any difference...
as Juna points out
This is something they don't really teach in medical school. Many physicians aren't familiar with the risks b/c they're completely ignorant about shooting. So unless you find an OB/GYN who's encountered the situation before, you're not likely to get a great answer.
The risks, as you mentioned, would be lead exposure and possibly noise.
i have encountered the situation of pregnant women shooting many times before.
and i must be able to assess risk to the mom & fetus; its what i do
many physicians are ignorant about guns and shooting: true.
most physicians have little interest or training in teratogenics: true
(they have little use for the information;
except OB/GYNs who must asses risks for moms -teratogenic or otherwise-).
many physicians 'err on the side of caution' and recommend against
possibly situations of which they have little knowledge or understanding:
true, and correctly so.
ionized lead in large quantities is teratogenic, especially if ingested.
shooters ALREADY have lead in their systems; stable & unionized, mostly bound to bone.
lead is not cleared if a prenant woman stop shooting for, say, 9 months.
with normal precautions (hand washing, etc) the incremental increase in
exposure to lead from shooting and the resultant risk is infinitesimal.
(so pregnant moms can shoot from the lead risk perspective.
however, prenant moms can also certainly shoot 'green' lead free ammo
and forgo ANY risk and contraversy in that regard)
though sound is well transmitted through water or air,
it is not amplified in water but dissapates just like in air.
sound, however is VERY POORLY transmitted across interfaces of differing materials.
hence, the sound recieved by the fetus is not at a level near that
of the shooter. (i have used the swimming pool analogy which TommyGun cites many times.
i usually use a hot tub with the jets on...bear in mind, too, that the uterine environment is not silent.)
further there are many exponentially louder environments wherein
pregnant women are exposed to prolonged high sound pressure levels
(stamping plants, baggage/cargo loading on airport tarmac)
so since women can work in the factory or on the tarmac with only
ear protection for themselves and no prohibition from OHSA or
other safety authorities, it is safe for women to shoot from the noise perspective.
The thread in which I previously posted on this topic at length is:
http://www.thehighroad.org/showthrea...t=72938&page=2
I would be happy to e-corresond or speak to you by phone to address any of your fears and concerns.
Sincerely,
doc
[email protected]
Peter L. Stevenson, MD FACOG
Assoc Clinical Professor
Wayne State University
School of Medicine
Detroit, Michigan
313.278.3900 (office)
"Always willing to assist in the defense of the righteous against the loud."
Jim Simmons, Esq
) and found detectable amounts of lead in 3 cups my wife was using, several electrical devices, and a few plastic toys given to us for the kiddo'. As for sound, I highly doubt any injury from such a short range session. Bottom line has to do with real vs perceived risk. The real risk is to you and you baby was the car ride to the range. Much more likely something bad will happen in the car than at the range. You can have your OB or family doc give you a quick lead check if you are concerned, but if it is high mostly likely it was high befor your range session. Congrats on the little one, they are great 
