X-ray for pregnant woman

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Yes i agree with you.

However, when the OP posted this, it lead me to believe entire chest xray including abdominal area.

As long as the radiologist in hyderabad shields her abdomen, she is fine.I am sure he will. Lead jacket is not expensive and I am sure he or she follows radiological guidelines to code.

Women get xrays during pregnancy all the time. But the need has to be justified by a medical indication and we take all precautions to reduce exposure to fetus.

Fair enough ☺️

[Cathi 5,754]

I broke my leg twice during my son's pregnancy, I had several x-rays and my son is now a 21 year old engineering student on the dean's list. They double covered my belly with lead shields and the rest is history. This is from FDA.gov. Notice where it says chest?

What Kind of X-Rays Can Affect the Unborn Child?

During most x-ray examinations - like those of the arms, legs, head, teeth, or chest - your reproductive organs are not exposed to the direct x-ray beam. So these kinds of procedures, when properly done, do not involve any risk to the unborn child. However, x-rays of the mother's lower torso - abdomen, stomach, pelvis, lower back, or kidneys - may expose the unborn child to the direct x-ray beam. They are of more concern.

[verneforchat 139]

I broke my leg twice during my son's pregnancy, I had several x-rays and my son is now a 21 year old engineering student on the dean's list. They double covered my belly with lead shields and the rest is history. This is from FDA.gov. Notice where it says chest?

What Kind of X-Rays Can Affect the Unborn Child?

During most x-ray examinations - like those of the arms, legs, head, teeth, or chest - your reproductive organs are not exposed to the direct x-ray beam. So these kinds of procedures, when properly done, do not involve any risk to the unborn child. However, x-rays of the mother's lower torso - abdomen, stomach, pelvis, lower back, or kidneys - may expose the unborn child to the direct x-ray beam. They are of more concern.

Thank you for your experience. Unfortunately, anecdotes do not form medical evidence.

I am also guessing they did not xray your abdomen to check the fractures on your leg. It would have been only limbs with the rest of your body shielded from xray. So your case is completely unrelated.

FDA gov does not do research, They merely provide citations.

During chest x rays your abdomen and pelvis gets radiation as well, Including the rest of your body. This is why they shield you with lead.

Again key word is properly done. I have seen centers with great radiology shielding equipment, to centers in third world countries where there is no such shielding.

I remember when we were doing the paper for xray assessment for pregnant women, there was a huge lack of papers published on the safety. And for good reason. It is very hard and expensive to collect follow up data on women/children for 20 years. No one will pay for that study, And no mother or human in that case will go radiation unchecked to evaluate for possible side effects down the road. THis is not ethical and no committee will approve such a research.

So most of the evidence you find about xray effect on unborn children is from very limited data, whether its posted on the Mayo website or Mount Sinai or Sloan Ketting or Cornell or Hopkins or Yale or Columbia.

Incidentally, our paper concluded xray effect on pregnant women and fetus is probably negligible, but the biggest limitation is that its not truly conclusive since we do not have follow up data on women and their children 2 or 3 or 4 or 5 or 10 years after birth.

So the evidence is out there, and on pubmed. I request you to not shy from xrays or MRI or MRCP or CT or other advanced imaging at all, especially if medically indicated. However, please make sure you are properly shielded when necessary and clarify with your radiologist first.

Edited April 13, 2016 by verneforchat

[LionessDeon 2,060]

Chest X-rays should not include the abdomen. You can even ask for double shielding. We do it at the hospital Frequently. The radiology tech will also take special care when collimating the FOV (field of view) which cuts down on radiation exposure. Exposure is very minimal so don't worry. From what I hear they only do a single view.

You may want to seriously consider CT scans while pregnant as shielding is not truly an option as a lead shield is often in the FOV and will not allow scatter radiation to escape causing a higher radiation dose.

MRI is somewhat new in terms of long term research of effects so not recommended while pregnant unless there's some life threatening issue.

X-rays of extremities aren't really an issue much because they're limbs and not part of the trunk of the body where the baby is. Proper shielding is all that's required.

[WandY 430]

If you don't want to abide by the rules, then don't come to USA. Rules are rules. We all subject our loved ones to the rules.

[blondedoc 35]

As a doctor, I can say that be away from husband during the pregnancy is much more harmful than make a chest X-ray... lol... trust me...

[abhi_meli 150]

brother instead of asking here...call the max hospital responsible to conduct medical for ur wife and ask them

[dmck 80]

You will get 2-5x the radiological expose on the fligh(s) to the US than the image they will take gives to her.