Wife is pregnant, but now needs xrays as part of medical exam

[NikLR 13,227]

Everyone has the same things they must pass in a medical and interview regardless of country. Im was little embarrassed and annoyed that you think Canada is somehow exempt, but you're not the Canadian in the relationship, so I'm mollified by that.

[Dutchster 1,106]

I kindly asked my aunt, who is a doctor here in the Netherlands, how it would affect the baby in any kind of way to do an x-ray. Answer: not. Unless it's abdominal x-ray's. Then you can consider waiting until the baby is born.

I also found this little thing here that can help: Having an X-ray during pregnancy is generally considered safe. It's highly unlikely that a diagnostic X-ray during pregnancy will harm a developing baby. Most X-ray exams — including those of the arms, legs, head, teeth or chest — won't expose your reproductive organs to radiation, and a leaded apron and collar can be worn to block any scattered radiation. The exception is abdominal X-rays, which expose your abdomen — and your baby — to radiation. High doses of radiation can cause changes in a baby's rapidly growing cells. In turn, it's possible that these changes could slightly increase a baby's risk of birth defects or certain cancers, such as leukemia, later in life. Remember, however, that the typical dose of radiation associated with a diagnostic X-ray — even one of the abdomen or pelvis — doesn't pose this risk.

TB is an infectious disease that can encounter any country whether it's Canada, Britian, France or Tunesia etc etc. Because this disease is highly contagious, we all need to be tested. even you could get it from a relative who went on vacation somewhere and coughed in your area. Immigration doesn't do the privilage thing. "Oh you're from Canada? Cool man, here's a visa. You're good to go" "Oh you're from Africa? Let's test you for TB and everything else because your country carries these infections." "Tunesia? I'm sure you have TB. Let's test." Not to mention that the highest country on the list is South America, but whatever floats your boat. I don't want to come of too mean but I probably do.

Edit: This is what the FAQ is on the website.

The U.S. Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC) requires that women who are pregnant and required to have a medical examination in connection with the issuance of a visa, and are examined in a country currently using the 2007 TB Technical Instructions must have a chest x-ray examination conducted. Pregnant women will have to provide the panel physician with consent to conduct the chest x-ray. For the health of the applicant and her unborn child, CDC instructs panel physicians and laboratories to provide abdominal and pelvic protection with double layer, wrap-around lead shields when they receive the chest radiographs.

Edited July 8, 2016 by stephadams

[SunflowerSweet 1,321]

I love the smell of Western Exceptionalism in the morning

Everyone needs an X-ray, regardless of the country they are from. You are not the first pregnant couple to ask if their is any way around it. You are however the first I have personally seen to and use your nationality to try and get preferential treatment however, so that's fun.

Edited July 8, 2016 by MorganandMichael

[Transborderwife 4,666]

Just do t and get it over with or wait it out until the baby is born. Easy peasy

[Ortolan 381]

Go ahead, don't worry. Pregnant people undergo x-rays all the time with no problems. Be sure she tells the technician she's pregnant; they'll use a special lead apron to guard against any exposure to the baby. Stop worrying overmuch, ok?

[jhansen6 0]

haha jeez, chill out guys. Can always count on the internet to get people's inflamed reactions to a relatively innocuous question.

first, thank you for your responses.

second, again, yes I know Canada has TB. All countries do. In epidemiology, scientists rate countries as ENDEMIC or not for a specific disease. Some places are higher risk. And if you are from a higher risk country then yes you absolutely must have an xray. If you are from a lower risk country I was wondering if there may be more flexibility such as a TB skin test or bloodwork. Like it or not, the risk of a Canadian having TB is less than that of a South African or Chinese or Russian immigrant. BY A LOT. So taking this into consideration, my question: is there any flexibility? That is now answered. There is not. Chill out people.

On a side note, I find it silly that she could visit the US for 6 months without needing a chest xray, yet she can't live there and defer her xray until after birth (~3 months). Just seems like a very simple way to avoid exposing a fetus to unnecessary radiation.

Lastly, I just want to say that I appreciate everyone saying "don't worry, trust me, it'll be fine" but again, I no longer "trust" a person with my own health, and netiher should you. That includes your own doctor. You need to look at the research yourself and decide. With that said, I've since done a LOT of reading scientific literature and have decided that the risk is indeed very minimal. I encourage anyone in the future to look up the studies themselves using google scholar. For anyone stumbling across this thread in the future, I thought I'd write down my notes from a good metaanalysis paper I found (Lowe et al, 2004; look it up).

- VERY IMPORTANT is figuring out the timing of when is best to get the xray. The paper surveyed a bunch of studies and concludes that the risk is equal in second and third trimester, but perhaps is greater in the first trimester. Still not clear on this though.

- When getting the xray, it is VERY important to tell the radiologist that you are pregnant. They will make any other provisions that are necessary.

- Average/safe amount of radiation exposure that women get during normal pregnancy: 3.0 units. Use this as a reference for the numbers below.

- should reduce taking flights, since they expose you to radiation. Per 10hr flight is 0.05 units. They add up if you're a flight attendent.

- The highest possible dose for a chest xray FOR THE FETUS is 0.01 units.

- compare this to an xray directly to the abdomen? that would cause 10 units, which is certainly a bit more risky.

- the internationally accepted level for when baby malformations may be a risk: 200 units.

- there is potentially very very small risk of Leukemia. There are some studies that show a very mild risk (like 1 in 1700), then a ton of studies that show no risk at all. These studies look at thousands, or tens of thousands of people. The point is that the risk seems minimal. If we do believe the data though, the maximum possible risk is 1 in 1700 of developing leukemia (and that's for people getting xrays directly to the abdomen).

- The paper ends with "Based on the negligible risks outlined above, women can be reassured that the benefit far outweighs the risk with regard to diagnostic imaging with a predicted fetal absorbed dose of less than 1.0 unit. This includes all X-ray and CT scanning not involving the abdomen." That this means you could get 100 chest xrays and still be safe, apparently.

goodluck everyone!

Edited July 8, 2016 by jhansen6

[aaron2020 11,651]

haha jeez, chill out guys. Can always count on the internet to get people's inflamed reactions to a relatively innocuous question.

first, thank you for your responses.

second, again, yes I know Canada has TB. All countries do. In epidemiology, scientists rate countries as ENDEMIC or not for a specific disease. Some places are higher risk. And if you are from a higher risk country then yes you absolutely must have an xray. If you are from a lower risk country I was wondering if there may be more flexibility such as a TB skin test or bloodwork. Like it or not, the risk of a Canadian having TB is less than that of a South African or Chinese or Russian immigrant. BY A LOT. So taking this into consideration, my question: is there any flexibility? That is now answered. There is not. Chill out people.

On a side note, I find it silly that she could visit the US for 6 months without needing a chest xray, yet she can't live there and defer her xray until after birth (~3 months). Just seems like a very simple way to avoid exposing a fetus to unnecessary radiation.

Lastly, I just want to say that I appreciate everyone saying "don't worry, trust me, it'll be fine" but again, I no longer "trust" a person with my own health, and netiher should you. That includes your own doctor. You need to look at the research yourself and decide. With that said, I've since done a LOT of reading scientific literature and have decided that the risk is indeed very minimal. I encourage anyone in the future to look up the studies themselves using google scholar. For anyone stumbling across this thread in the future, I thought I'd write down my notes from a good metaanalysis paper I found (Lowe et al, 2004; look it up).

- VERY IMPORTANT is figuring out the timing of when is best to get the xray. The paper surveyed a bunch of studies and concludes that the risk is equal in second and third trimester, but perhaps is greater in the first trimester. Still not clear on this though.

- When getting the xray, it is VERY important to tell the radiologist that you are pregnant. They will make any other provisions that are necessary.

- Average/safe amount of radiation exposure that women get during normal pregnancy: 3.0 units. Use this as a reference for the numbers below.

- should reduce taking flights, since they expose you to radiation. Per 10hr flight is 0.05 units. They add up if you're a flight attendent.

- The highest possible dose for a chest xray FOR THE FETUS is 0.01 units.

- compare this to an xray directly to the abdomen? that would cause 10 units, which is certainly a bit more risky.

- the internationally accepted level for when baby malformations may be a risk: 200 units.

- there is potentially very very small risk of Leukemia. There are some studies that show a very mild risk (like 1 in 1700), then a ton of studies that show no risk at all. These studies look at thousands, or tens of thousands of people. The point is that the risk seems minimal. If we do believe the data though, the maximum possible risk is 1 in 1700 of developing leukemia (and that's for people getting xrays directly to the abdomen).

- The paper ends with "Based on the negligible risks outlined above, women can be reassured that the benefit far outweighs the risk with regard to diagnostic imaging with a predicted fetal absorbed dose of less than 1.0 unit. This includes all X-ray and CT scanning not involving the abdomen." That this means you could get 100 chest xrays and still be safe, apparently.

goodluck everyone!

Your analysis does not matter. US immigration doesn't care why you think it's unsafe for your wife to get an x-ray.

If your wife does not provide an x-ray, she does not qualify for a visa. Simple as that.

Edited July 8, 2016 by aaron2020

[NikLR 13,227]

If she only has about 3 months to go. I suggest waiting to give birth in Canada. Sure you have to do the CRBA but thats way less hassle than trying to find a dr in the USA, a hospital that takes insurance, insurance itself, etc.... a cash birth in the usa costs about 10k if there is no complications. C-section rates are higher down here as well.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

If she only has about 3 months to go. I suggest waiting to give birth in Canada. Sure you have to do the CRBA but thats way less hassle than trying to find a dr in the USA, a hospital that takes insurance, insurance itself, etc.... a cash birth in the usa costs about 10k if there is no complications. C-section rates are higher down here as well.

Not only that, many OB's will refuse to take you after a certain point. They'll say you're good until you go into labor and make you wait...personal experience

[jhansen6 0]

That was a hypothetical. She's not actually 3 months. We will have good coverage, I think I'll be ok giving birth there.

[Transborderwife 4,666]

That was a hypothetical. She's not actually 3 months. We will have good coverage, I think I'll be ok giving birth there.

How do you have coverage of you live in Canada?

[B-2-Z 37]

haha jeez, chill out guys. Can always count on the internet to get people's inflamed reactions to a relatively innocuous question.

first, thank you for your responses.

second, again, yes I know Canada has TB. All countries do. In epidemiology, scientists rate countries as ENDEMIC or not for a specific disease. Some places are higher risk. And if you are from a higher risk country then yes you absolutely must have an xray. If you are from a lower risk country I was wondering if there may be more flexibility such as a TB skin test or bloodwork. Like it or not, the risk of a Canadian having TB is less than that of a South African or Chinese or Russian immigrant. BY A LOT. So taking this into consideration, my question: is there any flexibility? That is now answered. There is not. Chill out people.

On a side note, I find it silly that she could visit the US for 6 months without needing a chest xray, yet she can't live there and defer her xray until after birth (~3 months). Just seems like a very simple way to avoid exposing a fetus to unnecessary radiation.

Others have answered the xray question but not really the reasoning behind it, so I thought I would give some insight. Just giving you some information on the skin TB test... It isn't done often because it gives SO many false positives, and those lead to a lot more rounds of invasive x-rays. I myself have tested positive to the TB skin test twice, and it was determined that I'm one of the MANY people that is allergic to the test itself. Think of how bad it would be to place your pregnant wife in those circumstances of thinking she is actually positive for TB, and all the stress that goes along with that. Then the multiple xrays that follow that. If she tests positive(even false positive) then she'd be given a 6 month waiting period before they can test her again and allow her into the country.

They'll protect her and your little one really well during the xray, they wrap lead all the way around a pregnant woman's torso.The baby is actually safer from that level of radiation(being hidden behind lead) then a normal transvagional ultrasound.

[jhansen6 0]

Thank you.

[SunflowerSweet 1,321]

haha jeez, chill out guys. Can always count on the internet to get people's inflamed reactions to a relatively innocuous question.

first, thank you for your responses.

second, again, yes I know Canada has TB. All countries do. In epidemiology, scientists rate countries as ENDEMIC or not for a specific disease. Some places are higher risk. And if you are from a higher risk country then yes you absolutely must have an xray. If you are from a lower risk country I was wondering if there may be more flexibility such as a TB skin test or bloodwork. Like it or not, the risk of a Canadian having TB is less than that of a South African or Chinese or Russian immigrant. BY A LOT. So taking this into consideration, my question: is there any flexibility? That is now answered. There is not. Chill out people.

On a side note, I find it silly that she could visit the US for 6 months without needing a chest xray, yet she can't live there and defer her xray until after birth (~3 months). Just seems like a very simple way to avoid exposing a fetus to unnecessary radiation.

Lastly, I just want to say that I appreciate everyone saying "don't worry, trust me, it'll be fine" but again, I no longer "trust" a person with my own health, and netiher should you. That includes your own doctor. You need to look at the research yourself and decide. With that said, I've since done a LOT of reading scientific literature and have decided that the risk is indeed very minimal. I encourage anyone in the future to look up the studies themselves using google scholar. For anyone stumbling across this thread in the future, I thought I'd write down my notes from a good metaanalysis paper I found (Lowe et al, 2004; look it up).

- VERY IMPORTANT is figuring out the timing of when is best to get the xray. The paper surveyed a bunch of studies and concludes that the risk is equal in second and third trimester, but perhaps is greater in the first trimester. Still not clear on this though.

- When getting the xray, it is VERY important to tell the radiologist that you are pregnant. They will make any other provisions that are necessary.

- Average/safe amount of radiation exposure that women get during normal pregnancy: 3.0 units. Use this as a reference for the numbers below.

- should reduce taking flights, since they expose you to radiation. Per 10hr flight is 0.05 units. They add up if you're a flight attendent.

- The highest possible dose for a chest xray FOR THE FETUS is 0.01 units.

- compare this to an xray directly to the abdomen? that would cause 10 units, which is certainly a bit more risky.

- the internationally accepted level for when baby malformations may be a risk: 200 units.

- there is potentially very very small risk of Leukemia. There are some studies that show a very mild risk (like 1 in 1700), then a ton of studies that show no risk at all. These studies look at thousands, or tens of thousands of people. The point is that the risk seems minimal. If we do believe the data though, the maximum possible risk is 1 in 1700 of developing leukemia (and that's for people getting xrays directly to the abdomen).

- The paper ends with "Based on the negligible risks outlined above, women can be reassured that the benefit far outweighs the risk with regard to diagnostic imaging with a predicted fetal absorbed dose of less than 1.0 unit. This includes all X-ray and CT scanning not involving the abdomen." That this means you could get 100 chest xrays and still be safe, apparently.

goodluck everyone!

I mean, sure.

Still gotta do it though if you want the visa.

Sorry. Good luck