Is Paint thinner and solvents safe during pregnancy?
Keep solvent use to a minimum: small jobs, outdoors or with strong ventilation, gloves on. Let someone else do big jobs.
What the sources say
CDC/NIOSH says some solvents might cause birth defects, miscarriage, stillbirth, low birth weight or preterm birth and advises reducing or eliminating solvent exposure in pregnancy as much as possible; solvents can pass into breast milk. Use PPE (gloves), increase ventilation, avoid breathing vapors and skin contact, and wash hands. EPA advises increasing ventilation with VOC-emitting products and following label precautions. MotherToBaby notes household/hobby use is far below the deliberate high-dose sniffing linked to harm.
Common alternatives
Also listed as
acetone, brush cleaner, degreaser, goo gone, goof off, lacquer thinner, mineral spirits, paint thinner, solvents, toluene, turpentine, xylene
Sources
- CDC: About Solvents and Reproductive Health
- EPA: Volatile Organic Compounds' Impact on Indoor Air Quality
- MotherToBaby: Paint
Last reviewed . This is general information, not medical advice. Ask your doctor or midwife about your own situation.