Can you go to a haunted house if you are pregnant? Experts weigh

Halloween horror nights. Scream-O-Scream. Scary movies and events galore. If you like to be in a rush in October but have a baby on board this year, you might be wondering if you can still visit a haunted house during your pregnancy. In a normal year, this is considered completely safe – as long as you don’t get too physical in the tight spaces of a haunted mansion. But since the pandemic began in 2020, there are a few COVID precautions to keep in mind this year.

Brittney Pohler, PA-C, MPH, at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Station CollegeRomper tells in an interview that expecting moms can still enjoy some ghosts and scares during the Halloween season. “In general, we consider them to be safe. For most haunted houses, the duration is usually less than 30 minutes to an hour, and it’s kind of the same as moderate exercise. I don’t think the only aspect of heart rate is worrying for mom or baby.

“Unless the haunted house requires some physical activity that the woman cannot do, such as crawling on the floor in late pregnancy, they are safe,” adds Alicia Johnson, MSN, RNC-EFM, nurse-wise -certified woman at Lone Tree OB-GYN and Midwives in Denver, in an interview with Romper.

Victor R. Klein, MD, an OB-GYN certified by the board of directors of Northwell Health and vice president of obstetrics and gynecology at North Shore University Hospital, specializes in high-risk pregnancies. Like the other experts, he tells Romper that he wouldn’t worry that a pregnant woman decides to visit haunted houses. His main concern would be to hit the baby bump. It is crucial for pregnant women to avoid slips, falls, and physical injury to themselves and their stomachs. “Haunted houses can be dark and in enclosed spaces with fog machines, creating potential fall hazards,” he says.

Pohler agrees and says, “Haunted houses have props everywhere and are poorly lit, so we don’t want you to trip or fall. We don’t want you to be pushed. I think if you go, be careful and aware of these things, and maybe have someone you can hold on to by your arm. We just want to avoid trauma to the stomach.

Now that COVID-19 exists, is it still safe for pregnant women to line up for a few scares? Guidelines from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) say that vaccinated people can resume their activities as they normally would before the pandemic, but which you should still follow all the masking rules in your local haunted house and stay home if you have symptoms of COVID.

But cases of breakthrough are reported now because of the delta variant, which means that although the vaccine may prevent these patients from becoming seriously ill, they are still infected. So, for pregnant women, regardless of your vaccination status, doctors recommend taking precautions.

“I would be concerned about the potential for COVID exposure in the haunted house,” Klein explains. “With closed spaces, social distancing can be difficult to maintain, as people can be in a dark environment and close to each other. Maintaining masks on costumes should be observed to avoid potential spread. “

Klein adds that while it has not been shown that pregnant women contract COVID-19 more easily than others, the disease can be serious for them. “Pregnant women are not at increased risk of contracting COVID. However, it has been found that pregnant women are hospitalized more frequently if they contract the virus, as in many illnesses. There is a report of a newborn baby contracting COVID from his mother, ”he says.

So if you’re unvaccinated and pregnant and decide to visit a haunted house this month, maybe call ahead to ask if their performers will be wearing masks. Practice mask wearing and social distancing to the best of your ability, depending on the CDC.

Also, Pohler recommends listening to your body.

“I tell my patients that they are the best indicator and that they need to listen to their bodies,” she says. “If they have cramps or feel uncomfortable, maybe don’t continue through the night. “

Sources:

Brittney Pohler, PA-C, MPH, at Baylor Scott & White Medical Center – Station College

Alicia Johnson, MSN, RNC-EFM, Registered Nurse Midwife at Lone Tree OB-GYN and Midwives in Denver

Victor R. Klein, MD, OB-GYN Certified by the Board of Directors of Northwell Health and Vice President of Obstetrics and Gynecology at North Shore University Hospital