- With Mayo Clinic obstetrician and medical editor-in-chief
Roger W. Harms, M.D.
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Roger W. Harms, M.D.
Roger W. Harms, M.D.
"Nothing helps people stay healthy more than the power of real knowledge about health." — Dr. Roger Harms
As medical director of content, Dr. Roger Harms is excited about the potential for Mayo Clinic's health information site to help educate people about their health and provide them the tools and information to live healthier lives.
The Auburn, Neb., native has been with Mayo Clinic since 1981 and is board certified in obstetrics and gynecology. Dr. Harms is a practicing physician and associate professor of obstetrics and gynecology, and his specialty areas include office gynecology, high-risk obstetrics and obstetrical ultrasound.
From 2002 to 2007, Dr. Harms was director for education at Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Dr. Harms was the 1988 Mayo Medical School Teacher of the Year and served as associate dean for student affairs and academic affairs. He is the co-author of the "Mayo Clinic Model of Education." In 2008, Dr. Harms was presented the Distinguished Educator Award, Mayo Clinic, Rochester.
Dr. Harms is vice chair of the Department of Obstetrics & Gynecology and medical editor of the Pregnancy section on this website. In addition, Dr. Harms is editor-in-chief of the "Mayo Clinic Guide to a Healthy Pregnancy" book, a month-by-month guide to everything a woman needs to know about having a baby.
"My medical education experience has grown out of a love of teaching, and that is what this site is about," Dr. Harms says. "If any visitor to this site makes a more informed and thus more comfortable decision about his or her health because of the information we provide, we are successful."
Healthy pregnancy (19)
- Flu and pregnancy: Is antiviral medication safe?
- Breast-feeding while pregnant: Is it safe?
- X-ray during pregnancy: Is it safe?
- see all in Healthy pregnancy
First trimester (4)
- Implantation bleeding: Normal in early pregnancy?
- Down syndrome blood test: How does it work?
- Nausea during pregnancy: A good thing?
- see all in First trimester
Second trimester (1)
- Fundal height: An accurate sign of fetal growth?
Third trimester (1)
- Hypnobirthing: How does it work?
Pregnancy problems (9)
- Pregorexia: A legitimate problem during pregnancy?
- Chickenpox and pregnancy: What are the concerns?
- Low amniotic fluid: How is it treated?
- see all in Pregnancy problems
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Question
Pregnancy and hot tubs: What's the risk?
Is it safe to use a hot tub during pregnancy?
Answer
from Roger W. Harms, M.D.
Pregnancy and hot tubs can be a dangerous combination.
Spending 10 minutes or more in a hot tub can raise your body temperature to 102 F (38.9 C), causing a condition known as hyperthermia. Some studies have shown an increased risk of miscarriage and neural tube defects — serious abnormalities of the brain or spinal cord — in the babies of women who experience high temperatures during the first four to six weeks of pregnancy. Exposure to hot tubs at any time during pregnancy can also cause you to overheat and lower your blood pressure, which can harm your baby's oxygen supply.
If you choose to use a hot tub during pregnancy, take these steps to reduce the risks:
- Limit time in the hot tub to less than 10 minutes.
- Avoid sitting near the inlet that provides newly heated water.
- Get out of the hot tub if you start to sweat or feel any discomfort.
- Stay out of the hot tub if you aren't in good health or you already have an elevated temperature due to fever, exercise, or previous hot tub or sauna use.
Pregnancy acne: What's the best treatment?
- Chambers CD. Risks of hyperthermia associated with hot tub or spa use by pregnant women. Birth Defects Research (Part A): Clinical and Molecular Teratology. 2006;76:569.
- Li De-Kun, et al. Hot tub use during pregnancy and the risk of miscarriage. American Journal of Epidemiology. 2003;158:931.
- Hyperthermia and pregnancy. Organization of Teratology Information Specialists. http://www.otispregnancy.org/files/hyperthermia.pdf. Accessed July 14, 2010.
- Moretti ME, et al. Maternal hyperthermia and the risk for neural tube defects in offspring: Systematic review and meta-analysis. Epidemiology. 2005;16:216.
- Murry MM (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 19, 2010.
- Harms RW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. July 21, 2010.
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