is it safe to travel in unpressurized aircraft

[cheeky]

i have planned a holiday and will be travelling to an island in the philippines. the flight connecting from Manila to El Nido is on a small 19-seater Dornier plane and is NOT pressurized. Can anyone tell me whether it is safe to travel in an unpressurized cabin for 1hr 30m. I will be around 14 wks pregnant. Has any pregnant mothers travelled on an unpressurized plane before?

 

[shri]

The best sources that I've found is on here.

http://www.askdrsears.com/html/1/T011600.asp

Avoid non-pressurized, high-altitude flights. As you probably know, most airline cabins are pressurized to compensate for the lower levels of oxygen available at high altitudes. Once you get to 7,000 feet above sea level, oxygen levels decrease as altitude increases. When you make your reservations, be sure you're getting a plane with a pressurized cabin. Be especially careful with commuter flights, as they are not pressurized, since they usually fly at low altitudes. While a short time spent in an unpressurized cabin above 7,000 feet is unlikely to harm your baby (baby's oxygen level in the womb is already lower than mother's), it can reduce the oxygen in your blood, causing you to feel lightheaded and impair your thinking and ability to move. (Pregnant women should avoid vacationing at altitudes greater than 7,000 feet. Some studies show a statistical correlation between living in high altitudes and having lower birth weight babies.)

and more here

Spending a short time in an unpressurized cabin is unlikely to harm your baby (a baby's oxygen level in the womb is already lower than mother's), but it can ? very rarely ? reduce the oxygen level in your own blood, causing you to feel lightheaded. Oxygen levels can fluctuate even in a pressurized cabin, so you may feel lightheaded in either setting. If you experience lightheadedness or are disoriented, ask the flight attendants for some oxygen.