Are computers safe during Pregnancy

Many pregnant women, or their friends and relatives, worry about this. Some people have heard that using a computer screen increases the risk of miscarriage or causes developmental problems in the baby. Others worry that compared to watching television, we usually sit much closer to a computer screen and for longer periods of time. So the theory goes that while TVs are safe, computer screens may not be.

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Safety concerns about computer screens (also known as VDUs or VDTs) have been around since the late 1970s when research was published which seemed to show a link between the use of VDUs and both miscarriage and birth defects. There were also reports of clusters of miscarriages in women working in offices in the US and Canada. In the Civil Service in the UK it was found that significantly more miscarriages were reported by women who worked with VDUs (36%) compared to those who didn't (16%). But it turns out these studies were flawed. When they were repeated they did not produce the same results. The North American miscarriage clusters may simply have been coincidental and did not conclusively prove a link, while the study of civil servants was flawed because it relied on people accurately remembering details of their VDU use some time afterwards.

Later studies were larger and much better designed. These studies failed to find a connection between the use of VDUs and miscarriage and/or birth defects. The fact that these bigger, more reliable studies all produced the same findings suggests that the original studies were indeed flawed and had raised fears about a problem where there wasn't one.

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Recent reviews have reached the same conclusion: that there is no association between VDU use and miscarriage and birth defects. So, for some time now, women have been advised that VDUs are safe to use in pregnancy and that there is no need to use any protective screening devices. The "non-ionising" electromagnetic radiation emitted by computer screens is much milder than the "ionising" radiation from sources such as x-rays, radiation therapy machines and CT scans, which are known to be harmful to a developing baby. In addition, modern flat-screen VDUs emit lower levels of non-ionising radiation than traditional computer screens.

Although it is impossible to prove that VDU use in pregnancy is 100 per cent safe, there is a wealth of research in this area which has failed to find evidence of harm. So you can be confident that using a computer screen is safe in pregnancy.

Whether you are pregnant or not, make sure you look after your general health and comfort when working with a VDU:

• Take regular breaks, and make sure you get up and move around - 10 minutes in each hour is the usual recommendation but you may need to increase breaks during pregnancy.

• Adjust your chair and VDU so that your posture is good: forearms are approximately horizontal, wrists are straight, eyes the same height as the top of the VDU, back is well supported and feet flat on the floor or against a footrest.

• Arrange your keyboard, screen, mouse and documents (use a holder if necessary) so that you avoid glare and don't have to make awkward movements. You might also want to use an additional anti-glare screen, if that's more comfortable for you..

• Have an eye test - if you wear contact lenses you may find that they become less comfortable during pregnancy, as water retention can affect the shape of the eyeball. Consider wearing anti-glare glasses for on-screen work.

• Take extra care if you work night shifts or irregular work hours.

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