Possible exposure to carbon monoxide during pregnancy

[LittlePoppit]

We had a plumber come yesterday to service our boiler. He couldn't confirm it 100% but he said it could have been leaking low amounts of carbon monoxide over the past 2 months & I'm now just over 20 weeks. My DH and I haven't had any symptoms associated with carbon monoxide poisoning, neither has the dog in that whole time. A couple of weeks ago at the 20 week scan the baby was fine. I went to hospital yesterday for a scan etc and everything was fine. If there was a leak do you think it could have affected the baby's development, especially as I felt no symptoms at all?

If you've been feeling fine, the scan shows no concerns and your house is well ventilated, then my personal opinion is that you should be ok (talking as someone who about 4 years ago was seriously rundown and had flu like symptoms for 2 months, got signed off sick for 2/3 weeks with stress, went away to my grandparents to have a break from my now ex, then found out that the flue at home had been blocked up after my ex got me to arrange a boiler service from 250 miles away because he'd come home and found that under the living room fire place was going a bit mental and I knew the plumber).

BUT common sense dictates that, that if you've got any concerns, call your midwife.

I was told by the nurse at my GP surgery after finding out about the blocked flue that the only way they can test for carbon monoxide poisoning is to take a blood sample from an artery (not a vein), it can only be done in hospital and it's bloody painful. She suggested I kept an eye on my symptoms and if they didn't improve over the next 2-3 months, then to go back. The symptoms improved even more so a couple of years later when I ditched the ex.

Thanks Enfyshedd. Glad you got rid of the ex too!

I can understand how worried you must be, I was exposed to carbon monoxide during my first pregnancy from week 13 - 16 thanks to a faulty gas fire.

I am sure your baby will be absolutely fine since you didn't have any symptoms (esp good that your dog didn't show symptoms), I'll tell you what happened to me which will hopefully reassure you.

The symptoms over the three weeks were increasingly extreme sleepiness, nausea, chills, real debilitating grogginess, pressure in my chest, racing heartbeat - I went to the gp and my midwife and called NHS direct on a few occasions but they told me not to worry just that my morning sickness had taken a turn for the worse.

Luckily when I was lying on the sofa next to the gas fire (where I was, ironically, spending most of my time by then because I felt so ill!!) it dawned on me that it must be the fire - I opened some windows, called the gas board and they told me to get out the house immediately & sent someone round within 20 mins who cut the gas supply off at the mains, they took a reading from the fire and said the carbon monoxide was 'off the scale', I think the only thing that saved me was that most of the CO must have been going up the chimney so the levels in the room that I was breathing in weren't immediately lethal.

I went to A&E the next morning (which was stupid - I should have gone that night) and they took a blood sample from an artery in my wrist which wasn't totally pleasant but was over very quickly - the CO levels were on the high side, about as much as a very heavy smoker (I don't smoke) but once you are removed from the source of the exposure the levels reduce very quickly (literally within a few hours) so they said they couldn't say what the levels would have been previously.

I now have a lovely, bubbly, bright 2 year old DS who is developing normally so far though we did have a bit of a stressful pregnancy because our 20 week scan showed a few glitches with his brain development, but he pretty much caught up with that later in the pregnancy (the human foetus is astonishingly resiliant and if certain aspects of development are arrested for any reason, it can often get around it).

I would say that if you haven't had any symptoms of carbon monoxide poisoning yourself then the baby will be absolutely fine, I was exposed to a fair old bit and DS is pretty much fine. I would say you should go and see your midwife, explain what has happened and ask if you can have an appointment with one of the antenatal consultants at your local hospital, they will be able to reassure you and then it will be on your notes. They probably wouldn't do a blood test because of the length of time that has passed since the exposure.

Don't worry, I am certain your baby will be absolutely fine :)

Thank you. That is really helpful, I have decided not to stress because, as you said, I have had no symptoms, so what is the use of worrying?! What a tale your is and thank heavens you and your DS were absolutely fine!