Tap Water OK During Pregnancy

New research suggests that you don't have to worry about drinking water from your kitchen faucet.

If you’re worried about drinking water from your kitchen faucet, you probably can relax, say researchers at the University of North Carolina School of Public Health. After following 3,000 expectant women whose homes were supplied by water plants with differing levels of byproducts from disinfection, they found that the byproducts known as trihalomethanes don’t seem to influence miscarriage risk. The results offer reassurance after a previous study caused worry among pregnant users of public water systems. “Bottled water can contain more trihalomethanes than disinfected tap water,” says study co-author Katherine Hartmann, M.D., Ph.D., who urges moms-to-be to drink enough water. “Staying well-hydrated is important, especially in early pregnancy when blood volume is expanding rapidly,” she says. — FRAN KRITZ