[unacompanera]

hi!
i am wondering if anyone can offer any advise on whether typical chem 1 and 2 experiments  would damage a fetus.  my school has hoods for each workstation.  

thanks!

[mike]

The school should provide you with MSDS (material safety data sheets) for each chemical you will use for each experiment. I think if you read these and then consulted with a medical professional that would be the best thing to do. Better to be safe than sorry, and there are so many different lab courses with different chemicals and safety concerns that it would be hard to generalise.

[sundberg]

Most common laboratory solvents etc are carcenogenic (or suspected to be) in some extent. I would not do daily laboratory work if I were a pregnant woman. I would probably not do it on a weekly basis either. If it's 2-3 labs, then I guess it would be ok. It probably is too any way, but as previous said it's better to  be safe than sorry and no student labs in the world is worth taking while risking your baby's health. You can always do them later!

Best of luck!

[movies]

I would say that any time spent in a chemistry lab would be a big risk for a pregnant woman.  As good as fume hoods are, there is also the concern of chemical absorption through the skin as well as the possibility of a chemical spill outside of a fume hood.  Furthermore, in my experience as a lab TA, rarely do students keep their fume hood sash low enough to comply with OSHA standards.

Think about the things that you aren't supposed to do while pregnant: handle cat litter, eat artificial sweeteners, drink alcohol, expose yourself to second-hand smoke, etc.  Think of it this way: everything you are exposed is magnified in your baby.  I worry about my exposure to chemicals everyday, to the point that I think it may be dangerous to me, so it can't be any better for a pregnant woman.