ARE TATTOOS TABOO FOR PREGNANT WOMEN?
Chiropractic has taught me to take great care of my spine, so I don't let anyone mess around with it. Nobody twists or pounds me, and no ink. But that's me.
More and more often these days, when I prepare a client for a surface EMG scan, the spine I'm working on is covered in art.
Tattoos now cover one-quarter of Americans ages 18 to 50, and nearly 20% of the women have tattoos on their lower back (J. American Academy of Dermatology- 2006).
Having survived a variety of controversies over their lifespan, tattoos are now the focus of doctors connected to labor, as the newest controversy is about whether they affect the safety of epidurals (a needle filled with painkillers that is applied to the low back during labor).
The focus of concern is the ink - on whether a needle inserted into the tattoo will pull some ink with it and get inside the body, possibly irritating nerves and stimulating inflamation, or worse.
The Wall Street Journal published a story on this Tuesday 9/18/07 (Why Some Expectant Moms Are Worried About Tattoos), and cited small, early negative research that had expectants moms lighting up blogs and asking for information. They also reported that "the national epidural rate is nearly 65% of the four million births a year in the U.S." - which could make this an issue that affects a lot of babies.
http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB119006970692630378.html
In the meantime, while there isn't enough formal research on this topic to get any usable information, the FDA, which regulates inks, hasn't "approved" any ink, but has some studies on the way that are evaluating adverse reactions and toxicity.
JEZEBEL picked up this story yesterday and the posted comments raged more about how epidurals don't work than any problems women with tattoos have had with epidurals.
http://www.jezebel.com/gossip/ink-well/have-you-heard-the-rumor-about-tramp-stamps-300911.php
While ink and research studies are being discussed, what about women who still have a choice: women who want to get pregnant, but also want lower back tattoos?
Will tattoos become the new post-pregnancy present?
Be Spine Tingling,
Dr. Madeline Behrendt
iwomenfilm@gmail.com
For information and education only.
More and more often these days, when I prepare a client for a surface EMG scan, the spine I'm working on is covered in art.
Tattoos now cover one-quarter of Americans ages 18 to 50, and nearly 20% of the women have tattoos on their lower back (J. American Academy of Dermatology- 2006).
Having survived a variety of controversies over their lifespan, tattoos are now the focus of doctors connected to labor, as the newest controversy is about whether they affect the safety of epidurals (a needle filled with painkillers that is applied to the low back during labor).
The focus of concern is the ink - on whether a needle inserted into the tattoo will pull some ink with it and get inside the body, possibly irritating nerves and stimulating inflamation, or worse.
The Wall Street Journal published a story on this Tuesday 9/18/07 (Why Some Expectant Moms Are Worried About Tattoos), and cited small, early negative research that had expectants moms lighting up blogs and asking for information. They also reported that "the national epidural rate is nearly 65% of the four million births a year in the U.S." - which could make this an issue that affects a lot of babies.
http://online.wsj.com/public/article_print/SB119006970692630378.html
In the meantime, while there isn't enough formal research on this topic to get any usable information, the FDA, which regulates inks, hasn't "approved" any ink, but has some studies on the way that are evaluating adverse reactions and toxicity.
JEZEBEL picked up this story yesterday and the posted comments raged more about how epidurals don't work than any problems women with tattoos have had with epidurals.
http://www.jezebel.com/gossip/ink-well/have-you-heard-the-rumor-about-tramp-stamps-300911.php
While ink and research studies are being discussed, what about women who still have a choice: women who want to get pregnant, but also want lower back tattoos?
Will tattoos become the new post-pregnancy present?
Be Spine Tingling,
Dr. Madeline Behrendt
iwomenfilm@gmail.com
For information and education only.
posted by Dr. Madeline at
12:12 PM
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