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Some of you may have to do X-rays while pregnant, whether it's X-rays of the teeth, bones in the hands, feet, body, and others. However, you may also have heard that X-rays during pregnancy can harm 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. Indeed, there are many views on this. 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 miscarriage, birth defects, or other development problems for the baby. However, repeated exposure to radiation from x-rays may damage the baby's body cells which can increase the risk of cancer. So, it is advisable not to do X-rays too often while pregnant and try to keep the X-ray radiation as low as possible.
Are all X-rays safe to do?
Not all x-rays are safe to do. Whether or not an x-ray is safe during pregnancy depends on the type of x-ray performed (does the x-ray expose the baby to radiation?) And how much radiation is produced.
The higher the radiation an x-ray generates, the greater the risk your baby can accept. However, most X-rays generally do not cause problems for your baby, dental x-rays for example, which only have an X-ray power of 0.01 millirad (Rad is a unit that shows how much radiation the body can absorb).
Too large the number of rad received by pregnant women, the greater the loss that can be received by the baby. Use of X-rays during pregnancy that expose the baby to more than 10 rad radiation has been shown to increase the risk of learning disabilities and eye problems. However, in general, an X-ray on an X-ray has a much weaker radiation strength than this, usually not more than 5 rad.
- A chest X-ray usually has 60 millirads
- An abdominal x-ray usually has 290 millirads
- CT scan usually has 800 millirads (but it is very unlikely that pregnant women will do this)
So, to get just 1 rad from X-rays you have to do X-rays many times, even hundreds of times. Doing X-rays once or twice may not be dangerous for pregnant women.
However, you should also consider whether the radiation exposure produced by the x-rays hits your uterus or not. X-rays taken on your arms, legs, or chest don't 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 should probably be avoided as it could harm the fetus.
It's best to avoid unnecessary X-rays while pregnant, wait until your baby is born. Consider the benefits and risks first before doing X-rays during pregnancy. Talk to your doctor that you are pregnant, so that they will consider what is best for you.
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