Contents:
- Medical Video: Your Radiologist Explains: MRI during Pregnancy
- X-rays during pregnancy, is it okay?
- Are all X-rays safe?
Medical Video: Your Radiologist Explains: MRI during Pregnancy
Some of you may have to do x-rays during pregnancy, whether it's X-rays for teeth, bones in the hands, feet, body, and others. However, you may also have heard that X-rays during pregnancy can endanger the development of your baby in the womb. Is this true?
X-rays during pregnancy, is it okay?
Some experts allow X-rays during pregnancy, but some other experts do not allow it. Indeed, there are many views on this matter. According to the American Academy of Family Physicians, X-rays during pregnancy are generally safe. X-rays during pregnancy will not increase the risk of miscarriages, birth defects, or other baby development problems. However, radiation exposure from x-rays that may repeatedly damage the baby's body cells can increase the risk of cancer. So, it is recommended not to do x-rays during pregnancy and try to get the lowest X-ray radiation possible.
Are all X-rays safe?
Not all X-rays are safe. Whether or not X-rays are done during pregnancy depends on the type of x-ray performed (is the x-ray done to make the baby exposed to radiation?) And how much radiation is produced.
The higher the radiation produced by X-rays, the greater the risk your baby can receive. However, most X-rays generally do not cause problems for your baby, for example dental x-rays that only have an X-ray strength of 0.01 billion (Rad is a unit that shows how much radiation the body can absorb).
Too much the amount of rad received by pregnant women, the greater the loss that the baby can receive. The use of X-rays during pregnancy which exposes radiation to infants more than 10 rad has been shown to increase the risk of learning disabilities and eye problems. However, X-rays in general have much weaker radiation power than this, usually no more than 5 rad.
- Chest radiographs usually have 60 millimeters
- An abdominal x-ray usually has 290 milligrams
- CT scans usually have 800 milligrams (but it's very unlikely that pregnant women do this)
So, to get just 1 rad of the x-ray you have to do x-rays many times, even hundreds of times. X-rays twice may not be dangerous for pregnant women.
However, you also have to consider whether or not radiation exposure to your uterus is produced by x-rays. X-rays performed on the arms, legs, or chest do not expose your uterus and reproductive organs, making them safer. However, X-rays of the abdomen, pelvis and back can increase the chance of radiation exposure to the uterus, so this might have to be avoided because it could endanger the fetus.
It is best to avoid unnecessary x-rays during pregnancy, wait until your baby is born. Consider the benefits and risks first before x-rays during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor that you are pregnant, so the doctor will consider the best for you.
