Flying during pregnancy ‘usually safe’

Air travel is safe for pregnant women, even in late pregnancy, experts say today.

Professor Ian Greer of Liverpool University, UK, and colleagues say that pregnant women are often unclear about the safety of air travel, as many airlines prohibit pregnant women over 36 weeks gestation from flying.

Although environmental and physiological changes occur at high altitudes, Professor Greer and his team believe these changes pose no direct risk to healthy pregnant women. Body scanners also pose no hazard, say the team.

However they point out that motion sickness may exacerbate morning sickness, and as with all passengers, immobility during long flights may raise the risk of deep vein thrombosis (DVT).

The team also recommend that pregnant women may wish to avoid air travel from 37 weeks gestation, which is classed as full term. They add that pregnant women who have complications, are carrying more than one baby, or who have other risk factors for preterm labour probably should not fly from 32 weeks of pregnancy.

Their paper is published today (22 May) by the Scientific Advisory Committee of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists.

Pregnant women on medium to long-haul flights (four-plus hours) may choose to use compression stockings, and those with significant DVT risk factors should take low-molecular-weight heparin for a few days starting on the day of travel.

"For uncomplicated pregnancies there is no reason to give advice against commercial air travel, and specifically there is no issue with travel in early pregnancy as the main consideration is risk of labour," says Professor Greer.

"However if the woman has a history of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy it would be sensible to suggest ultrasound prior to travel to confirm the location and viability of the pregnancy."