Environmental and occupational hazards to pregnancy

As our knowledge about occupational and environmental hazards increases, obstetrician/gynecologists are increasingly being asked to address these concerns for their pregnant patients. While there are numerous biologically active substances that can be considered as being hazardous, the purpose of this review is to address some of the more common exposures that could pose a threat to the mother and her developing fetus. These exposures may produce adverse effects through many different mechanisms of action and may have consequences that are either immediate or affect future reproduction. However, the most significant factors that should be considered are the exposure and the maternal physiologic changes that are present at the time.