Home HealthTopics Health Centers Reference Library Research
Join us on Facebook Join us on Facebook Share on Facebook
Share

Inherited Disorders and Birth Defects

Deck Stain

10/20/2008

Question:

I am 16 weeks pregnant and last weekend 15 weeks pregnat I stained/waterproofed the stairs to my deck outside. I never felt dizzy or anything. Some did get on my hands. Is this going to harm my baby

Answer:

Wood stains are composed largely of a group of chemicals known as solvents. However, the exact solvents within a wood stain may vary by the type of stain and brand of stain.

From your description, you may have been outdoors, so that there was good ventilation and you did not have any symptoms of overexposure such as headache, nausea, or dizziness. Also, you were 15 weeks pregnant at the time, which means that all of the baby’s organs should have been formed by then. From your description, I would think that the risk of the baby having problems due to your exposure would be very low.

However, I would recommend that you contact the Organization of Teratology Information Specialists (OTIS). They have real expertise in this area. They have a map of the US that you can click on your state and the contact information for the nearest OTIS to you will pop up.

Related Resources:

Organization of Teratogen Information Services

For more information:

Go to the Inherited Disorders and Birth Defects health topic, where you can:

Response by:

Anne Matthews, RN, PhD Anne Matthews, RN, PhD
Associate Professor of Genetics
School of Medicine
Case Western Reserve University