SOME SAY PREGNANT WOMEN SHOULD BOIL THEIR TAP WATER.

Byline: Sherry Joe Crosby Daily News Staff Writer

Local tap water probably is safe for drinking, but boil it anyway if you're in the early stages of pregnancy.

That's what some doctors and public health officials are advising based on a state study that links chlorinated tap water to an increased risk of miscarriage among women in their first trimester.

``This one study is not cause for panic,'' said Dr. Jonathan Fielding, director of public health for the Los Angeles County Department of Health Services.

However, Fielding said women who boil their water can be sure they have removed the chemical tied to miscarriages. ``I think the water is very good, but if they have concerns they should follow those recommendations,'' he said.

Not all physicians are rushing to inform their patients of the report, which is part of a larger study on disinfection and pollutants being conducted by the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency.

``It's too preliminary to worry about tap water,'' said Rebecca Wind, an obstetrician in Encino who said she has not informed her patients of the study. ``They've got to do a lot more work. There's no proof of toxins in the water.''

All the women in the study drank water that met state and federal safety guidelines, according to the researchers.

Dr. David R. Witt, chief of the genetics department at Kaiser Permanente in San Jose where several hundred patients took part in the two-year study, is advising pregnant women to avoid unboiled water.

``The safest advice is to drink mostly bottled water through the first trimester and even beyond,'' said Witt, who issued a summary of the study's finding and recommendations for obstetricians and advice nurses in Kaiser Permanente's Northern California region.

``We're not sure if it's necessary but it's the safest course of action,'' he said.

Woodland Hills obstetrician Carol Takami is waiting until patients bring up the topic before dispensing advice. She's worried that the report could alarm women and drive them to adopt unsafe health practices.

``If it makes people go out and drink bottled water, it may not be necessarily safer,'' said the Kaiser physician, noting that the quality of bottled water varies. ``You may drive people to do things that are not necessarily safer.''

The study, to be published in the Feb. 18 issue of the journal Epidemiology, was based on the medical records of 5,144 pregnant Kaiser Permanente patients from Walnut Creek, Santa Clara and Fontana.

Witt said Kaiser was used as a basis for the study because of the health maintenance organization's large patient population.

``We're often an ideal study population to use,'' Witt said. ``It's an ethnically diverse group and there's a lot of good data in terms of prenatal information and follow-up data.''

TAP WATER SAFETY TIPS

The Los Angeles County Department of Health Services recommends that pregnant women who are worried about the safety of tap water:

Boil water for one minute.

Drink bottled water, although the quality may vary; consumers are advised to check with manufacturers to determine if state and federal safety guidelines have been followed.

Let tap water sit in an open container for several hours.

Use an activated charcoal water filter.

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BOX: Tap water safety tips (see text)