Am Fam Physician 1999 Apr 1;59(7):1813-8, 1820
Safety of radiographic imaging during pregnancy.
Toppenberg KS, Hill DA, Miller DP.
Maternal illness during pregnancy is not uncommon and sometimes requires
radiographic imaging for proper diagnosis and treatment. The patient and her
physician may be concerned about potential harm to the fetus from radiation
exposure. In reality, however, the risks to the developing fetus are quite
small. The accepted cumulative dose of ionizing radiation during pregnancy is 5
rad, and no single diagnostic study exceeds this maximum. For example, the
amount of exposure to the fetus from a two-view chest x-ray of the mother is
only 0.00007 rad. The most sensitive time period for central nervous system
teratogenesis is between 10 and 17 weeks of gestation. Nonurgent radiologic
testing should be avoided during this time. Rare consequences of prenatal
radiation exposure include a slight increase in the incidence of childhood
leukemia and, possibly, a very small change in the frequency of genetic
mutations. Such exposure is not an indication for pregnancy termination.
Appropriate counseling of patients before radiologic studies are performed is
critical.
Publication Types:
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