Congenital Heart Defects (CHDs)

If you’re pregnant and have been exposed to TCE during your pregnancy, you should talk to your doctor. A pregnant woman’s exposure to TCE during the second to eighth week of pregnancy can increase the risk of having a baby born with a congenital heart defect, or CHD. Some studies show that the risk may double, so instead of having one baby in 100 born with a CHD, 2 babies in 100 are born with a CHD. Remember, most babies exposed to TCE during pregnancy will be born with a normal heart, and having a baby with a CHD does not mean there was a TCE exposure. Most likely, only the routinely ordered pre-natal testing would be recommended. The purpose of those tests is to look for birth defects or other problems with the baby. Regardless of what month of pregnancy you are in, you should take steps to reduce exposure to TCE.