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Shone bright light on tummy-bit worried

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  • 14-06-2012 9:19am
    #1
    2rkehij30qtza5
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,476 ✭✭✭


    I got no movements last night for ages (35 weeks preg) so shone a bright flashlight on my tummy. It worked, in that baby started moving. But I have since read online that it can damage baby 's eyes!!! Is this true? The flashlight was very bright! It was an iPhone app flashlight so as bright as the iPhone camera flash iykwim!


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    #2
    seamus
    Registered Users Posts: 68,317 ✭✭✭✭seamus


    No, it's not true. Some doctors will warn that it's a possibility but there's no evidence that it does.

    If you think about it logically, plenty of women go out in the sun with their bellies exposed (if even for five seconds) causing no ill-effects, and the sun is brighter than any light can ever be.

    In much the same way that shining a bright light into your own eye for 60 seconds could cause retinal damage, focussing an intense light on your belly for a long time is risky, but you won't do any damage if it's just for a few seconds to get the baby to react.


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    #3
    2rkehij30qtza5
    Closed Accounts Posts: 1,476 ✭✭✭2rkehij30qtza5


    seamus wrote: »
    No, it's not true. Some doctors will warn that it's a possibility but there's no evidence that it does.

    If you think about it logically, plenty of women go out in the sun with their bellies exposed (if even for five seconds) causing no ill-effects, and the sun is brighter than any light can ever be.

    In much the same way that shining a bright light into your own eye for 60 seconds could cause retinal damage, focussing an intense light on your belly for a long time is risky, but you won't do any damage if it's just for a few seconds to get the baby to react.


    Thanks Séamus.


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    #4
    Squiggler
    Closed Accounts Posts: 945 ✭✭✭Squiggler


    The light is being filtered through your skin, any subcutaneous fat, your uterus, the placenta and the amniotic fluid, and your baby has been able to blink for months now to block out light.

    Don't worry :)


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