Pregnant and electric shock

Thread Starter

Nancy Smith

Joined Oct 29, 2007
4
I am 27 weeks pregnant and shocked myself putting in a lightbulb. I hear the passway of the current is important but I did not feel the current exit anywhere. The current is more likely to pass through the uterus if it is a hand to foot pathway. I did not get burned or knocked out and was able to let go immediately. I was wearing sneakers and it was a compact fluorescent blub if that means anything.

I have been to the doctor and had an ultrasound. The baby is moving fine and the heart beat is normal but I am still worried about fetal wellbeing.

I don't know much about currents so any help would be greatly appreciated.
 

Salgat

Joined Dec 23, 2006
218
It all depends on how you got shocked (if it was just across a finger then electricity didn't even go through your body only your finger), and even then with the amount of resistance in your body you shouldn't be concerned. The biggest concern with electricity is current stopping your heart, and in this case it's unreasonable (although good to see from a mother) to expect any damage from it since your baby has been proven to be fine.
 

Thread Starter

Nancy Smith

Joined Oct 29, 2007
4
Thank you very much for your reply. I was shocked in the finger - since I was holding the bulb (in the wrong place). Does this mean the current only when through my hand and not through the rest of my body. It would be a complete load off my mind if this is true.
 

beenthere

Joined Apr 20, 2004
15,819
It depends on what you were in contact with at the time. Electricity takes the path of least resistance, but is unlikely to detour into parts of the body not in a line between conductors. If you only felt zapped in your hand, then that is as far as it went.
 

hgmjr

Joined Jan 28, 2005
9,027
I share beenthere's opinion that the shock was most likely confined local to your hand and did not conduct throughout your body.

If you are still concerned, you can bring it up with your physician at your next regular exam.

hgmjr
 

recca02

Joined Apr 2, 2007
1,212
generally shocks in homes are not so dangerous.
just as a piece of advice try wearing some rubber slipper(or any insulating material under the feet) when dealing with anything electrical.
 

bloguetronica

Joined Apr 27, 2007
1,541
I am 27 weeks pregnant and shocked myself putting in a lightbulb. I hear the passway of the current is important but I did not feel the current exit anywhere. The current is more likely to pass through the uterus if it is a hand to foot pathway. I did not get burned or knocked out and was able to let go immediately. I was wearing sneakers and it was a compact fluorescent blub if that means anything.

I have been to the doctor and had an ultrasound. The baby is moving fine and the heart beat is normal but I am still worried about fetal wellbeing.

I don't know much about currents so any help would be greatly appreciated.
Better ask to the doctor. The exact physiological effects of a shock are unknown to the general population of this forum, since the human body is very complex. But you are free to ask!
If you have a more specific question, fell free to ask. I will gladly try to answer it.
 

gramic

Joined Oct 30, 2007
2
Just had a long discussion with my colleagues. We're very pleased to hear you and baby are doing fine!
After much debate, we think that if the path was from your hand to foot, which seems unlikely, baby is not likely to have seen any of this current.
First off, it's cocooned inside your womb in a conducting fluid which on account of being a good conductor (by this I mean better than fat or muscle tissue) will provide a preferential path compared to baby. Being in a voltage is not necessarily a problem - remember the experiments you did at school with a Van de Graaf generator, or the photos you see of guys working on live high voltage electricity lines?
In the milliseconds you were in contact with the electricity supply, baby would have had to coincidentally touch the top of your womb to have had any chance of diverting any of this current through it (assuming that its head is resting near the bottom of your womb thereby creating a path through him, and he's not swimming around, and that he turns out to be a lower resistance path than the fluid!)
Secondly, if baby was asleep, likely he will be resting at the bottom of your womb, and there is no chance that the electricity would flow up baby (because we believe the amniotic fluid will be a better conductor than baby). Even if he was swimming around, the path to baby would be via the umbilical cord, and for sure the resistance of this would be higher than the amniotic fluid.

The danger from electric shock is burns and stopping your heart muscle. To stop your heart muscle, it needs a path through your heart - what do you think is the chance of a path through baby's heart considering what we've discussed above and what you now know that's he's ok? I think there is absolutely no chance of burns to baby coz the amniotic fluid would dispurse any heat, even if there were enough current passing here (and there can't be!)

I've been shocked several times and am pretty sure it hasn't done any lasting damage to me. Am still a handsome chap! :)
 

Thread Starter

Nancy Smith

Joined Oct 29, 2007
4
Thank you for all of these replies. They have been very helpful! I don't even want to know the answer but wouldn't be baby be put a risk since it is in the fluid?

Again, I did not feel any shock exit my foot or anywhere else or even feel shock much beyond my hand if at all. I must have been holding the bulb with a finger and a thumb. Would the current have just traveled between finger and thumb?

I have another appointment with the doctor on Thursday. They don't seem worried but I asked them to look into all the research and tell me what they recommend. I have also heard from someone who posted on your site a few years ago. All is wonderful with her baby after a very similar incident.

A crazy mom to be. Thanks again for your insights.
 

thingmaker3

Joined May 16, 2005
5,083
Being a Mom is a huge responsibility. I understand your concern and your desire for certainty.

You will keep us "in the loop," won't you? Let us know how things are going?
 

Thread Starter

Nancy Smith

Joined Oct 29, 2007
4
We had a beautiful baby boy yesterday and I am happy to report, he is just fine. The doctors were not worried but I remained a little scared until the end!

Thanks for the replies. It really helped to hear from those who know more about these things than me!
 

hgmjr

Joined Jan 28, 2005
9,027
Congratulations on the birth of your baby boy.

The little taste of electricity you gave him during his gestation may have kick started him into taking up electrical engineering as a career. You just never know.

hgmjr
 

Dave

Joined Nov 17, 2003
6,969
We had a beautiful baby boy yesterday and I am happy to report, he is just fine. The doctors were not worried but I remained a little scared until the end!

Thanks for the replies. It really helped to hear from those who know more about these things than me!
Congratulations! We wish you and your new baby boy well. Hopefully your mind will be finally at rest over this matter.

When he grows up tell him to give us a visit here at AAC! :D

Dave
 
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