Pregnancy & flying
As soon as pregnancy is known: get prenatal care from a qualified physician or midwife; tell the provider she is a pilot.
Effects by trimester (TC AIM AIR 3.14):
| Trimester | Effect |
|---|---|
| First | Nausea and vomiting common; worsened by turbulence, engine fumes, G forces |
| First and second | Increased likelihood of fainting (uncommon in a sitting position); G tolerance may be reduced |
| After second | Relative anaemia may develop; raises susceptibility to hypoxia |
- Foetal hypoxia not a problem below 10,000 ft ASL (3,050 m).
Cosmic radiation: particular concern; unborn child especially susceptible to ionizing radiation.
- Dose equivalent: biological harmfulness of ionizing radiation.
- Unit: sievert (Sv); 1 Sv = 1,000 mSv (millisieverts).
| Person | Period | Limit |
|---|---|---|
| Foetus | Whole pregnancy | 1 mSv |
| Foetus | Any single month | 0.5 mSv |
| Adult occupational | Per year | 50 mSv |
| Adult occupational | 5-year average | No more than 20 mSv per year |
Trap: nausea and vomiting are a first trimester symptom; fainting and reduced G tolerance span first and second. Foetal radiation limits are far below adult occupational limits; never interchangeable.
References
- TC AIM AIR 3.14