“What happens if a pregnant woman is exposed to radiation?”
I am a 23 year old pregnant woman. I want to know what happens if a pregnant woman is exposed to radiation?
1 Answer
CT risks during pregnancy:
If the abdomen or pelvis is not being imaged, such as in chest or head CT, there is no risk to the baby from radiation.
The amount of radiation used in normal CT imaging has never been shown to cause harm to an unborn child. However, if the CT scan examines the abdomen or pelvis area, then there may be a very slight risk to the baby. An unborn baby exposed to CT during pregnancy may have about a one in 1,000 greater chance of developing a cancer as a child. The level of risk is not proven though, and may be nonexistent. The radiologist (a doctor with expertise in medical imaging) and the CT technologist will adjust the CT exam techniques to lower the radiation dose to your baby if they know you are pregnant.
You should not refuse a CT exam necessary for diagnosing your potentially serious or urgent illness because of fear of radiation. The most important factor in having a healthy baby is ensuring a healthy mother, because the baby depends on the mother to stay well and carry her pregnancy to term.
The goal is to take care of the mother, who has a much greater chance of developing a serious illness, such as appendicitis
<https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=appendicitis>.
If the abdomen or pelvis is not being imaged, such as in chest or head CT, there is no risk to the baby from radiation.
The amount of radiation used in normal CT imaging has never been shown to cause harm to an unborn child. However, if the CT scan examines the abdomen or pelvis area, then there may be a very slight risk to the baby. An unborn baby exposed to CT during pregnancy may have about a one in 1,000 greater chance of developing a cancer as a child. The level of risk is not proven though, and may be nonexistent. The radiologist (a doctor with expertise in medical imaging) and the CT technologist will adjust the CT exam techniques to lower the radiation dose to your baby if they know you are pregnant.
You should not refuse a CT exam necessary for diagnosing your potentially serious or urgent illness because of fear of radiation. The most important factor in having a healthy baby is ensuring a healthy mother, because the baby depends on the mother to stay well and carry her pregnancy to term.
The goal is to take care of the mother, who has a much greater chance of developing a serious illness, such as appendicitis
<https://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=appendicitis>.
