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Is it okay to fly in pregnancy? Overall, air travel in pregnancy is safe for healthy pregnant women. The occasional flight has not been shown to increase the risk of miscarriage. Pregnancy is associated with increased risk of blood clots, as is air travel, so in order to reduce these risks it is recommended to move around in flight, increase fluid intake, and perform leg exercises. Studies have found that air travel is not associated with lower birth weight, shorter gestation, vaginal bleeding, preterm delivery or preeclampsia. That being said, any woman experiencing respiratory or cardiac complications in pregnancy or is at risk for pre-term labor should avoid flying. In general, we advise that women thinking about air travel during pregnancy check-in with their prenatal provider before traveling. Also, women should check the airline policies before flying because some prohibit travel past a certain gestational age and others require a letter from your prenatal provider.

SOURCE: Gideon Koren: Is air travel in pregnancy safe? Canadian Family
Physician 2008. Vol. 54: 1241-1242.