Is Inhaling Plastic Fumes During Pregnancy Harmful?

Posted on Tue, 1 Aug 2017

Medically reviewed by Ask A Doctor - 24x7 Medical Review Team

Tue, 1 Aug 2017 Answered on

Wed, 23 Aug 2017 Last reviewed on

Question : Hi there, I may be only about 5 days pregnant. My mother put a plastic chopping board in the oven for 20 mins. I came down to the thick fumes and smell of burning and melted plastic from the oven. I'm not sure how much I breathed in and I'm now incredibly anxious about damage to the fetus. Please can you give me some advice

Answered by Dr. Kathy Robinson (1 hour later)

Brief Answer:
unlikely to cause damage

Detailed Answer:
Hello,
I know that you are very anxious about this but if you got to clean air quickly then this should not be a problem.
The kinds of exposures that can harm a fetus are prolonged or severe exposures. For example, if the exposure was so bad that you were hospitalized then it would be more concerning.
Please make sure you are taking a prenatal vitamin with folate, drink plenty of water, exercise regularly and eat a healthy diet to keep your baby safe and healthy.
Best wishes,
Dr. Robinson

Above answer was peer-reviewed by : Dr. Chakravarthy Mazumdar