Tanning While Pregnant: Round 3

When a doctor tells you something you assume it is true. Doctors have years of schooling, they are licensed in the state they practice, and they are simply believed to be smarter than the rest. These doctors are the ones we turn to when we have aches, pains, and even the unusual looking mole.

What happens when you are handed something like this by your doctor?

 "While tanning beds are safe..."

Not only is this medical facility flat out telling their patients that tanning beds are safe, they are telling their pregnant patients that it's safe to tan in them! Tanning while pregnant is not a topic that's new to this blog. I've blogged about it here and here. However, I have never seen a doctor flat out publish something for their patients that states that tanning beds are safe.

Needless to say, my friend had a pause in her celebration when she read the pamphlet in November. A melanoma survivor herself, she could not believe her eyes. As she wrote to me, "Oh my blood is boiling! Just got home from my first OB appointment and found this in the literature. I will be writing them a letter to distribute at my next appointment! "While tanning beds are safe..." I could vomit!!" 

And write the letter she did...

Luckily for the rest of us, this woman is determined to have the facility look again at the information that they are handing out to their patients. It terrifies me a woman--not even just the pregnant woman--will see this information and assume that tanning beds are safe. I mean, her doctor clearly believes it. Why else would he give her that information? I can hear her talking to her friends now..."But my doctor said tanning beds are safe!" 

Oh, the damage this could do...

Now the question is, how do we get our doctors to learn that tanning beds are known carcinogenics? 

Tanning While Pregnant?

I'm confused, you guys. Now I know I'm not a mom, nor will I be for quite a few years, but didn't you moms worry about more important things during your pregnancy than tanning your skin? I already know the answer from most of you! Maybe you worried about things like the need for doing everything you could do to make sure your child is as healthy as possible. Maybe you worried about the need for vitamin D.

Did you turn to a tanning bed--especially while pregnant--to get it?

Thanks to the author of Hotel Melanoma, it was brought to my attention that the Indoor Tanning Association is indirectly implying that tanning while pregnant may not be such a bad idea. While the ITA DOES NOT SUGGEST pregnant women use tanning beds, they did share this article discussing the need for vitamin D for brain development of unborn babies on their website.

Do you think people will see this and assume tanning is safe for pregnant ladies? Although the article is on their website, do you believe people would care more about the safety of their unborn baby than a tan? I used to think so. 

Then this happened. 

Source 

So needless to say, my faith in the sanity of some future mothers was challenged. 

Instead of falling in the trap, I hope those pregnant ladies seek other options for their source of vitamin D.  While considering options, I encourage you to check out this interesting article about indoor tanning and vitamin D.

Hell, even Snooki stopped tanning while pregnant.

 Source

(Sorry, Snooki. You are my go-to for the tanning crap. You're far more beautiful without the fake and bake tan!)

Other articles:

http://www.parents.com/advice/pregnancy-birth/my-pregnant-body/is-it-safe-to-tan-during-pregnancy/

http://health.howstuffworks.com/skin-care/beauty/sun-care/tan-while-pregnant.htm