What You Need To Know Before You Get An X-ray If You’re Pregnant.Radiation poisoning can
cause birth defects, brain damage, and even death. Radiation is even more
dangerous to unborn babies, but how dangerous is the question. The idea of
getting exposed to any type of radiation while pregnant, no matter how little,
is often not only a concern but a huge source of fear and anxiety.
cause birth defects, brain damage, and even death. Radiation is even more
dangerous to unborn babies, but how dangerous is the question. The idea of
getting exposed to any type of radiation while pregnant, no matter how little,
is often not only a concern but a huge source of fear and anxiety.
As a structurally based chiropractic
office it is essential to have a full series of structural radiographs to
determine any abnormal spinal shift, which in turn is necessary to form an
accurate and effective treatment plan. As a result, it's not uncommon for us to
have to answer questions about radiation exposure. We have even had male
patients so afraid of the radiation from the necessary structural radiographs that
they refuse to even consider structurally focused care.
office it is essential to have a full series of structural radiographs to
determine any abnormal spinal shift, which in turn is necessary to form an
accurate and effective treatment plan. As a result, it's not uncommon for us to
have to answer questions about radiation exposure. We have even had male
patients so afraid of the radiation from the necessary structural radiographs that
they refuse to even consider structurally focused care.
The ugly truth is that
even physicians have been known to avoid using x-ray diagnostics because of the
negative stigma associated with birth defects and radiation. Fear of
litigation, warranted or not, from angry parents can be pretty intimidating.
Because of the negative association with x-rays, it's not uncommon to make the
jump to automatically blaming radiation as the cause of any abnormal congenital
issues that happen to arise with their newborn child.
even physicians have been known to avoid using x-ray diagnostics because of the
negative stigma associated with birth defects and radiation. Fear of
litigation, warranted or not, from angry parents can be pretty intimidating.
Because of the negative association with x-rays, it's not uncommon to make the
jump to automatically blaming radiation as the cause of any abnormal congenital
issues that happen to arise with their newborn child.
Are these fears
warranted though? According to the CDC there are different times during
pregnancy that an unborn baby is more sensitive than others.
warranted though? According to the CDC there are different times during
pregnancy that an unborn baby is more sensitive than others.
Weeks 2-18: Large
radiation doses (above the dose received from 500 chest x-rays at one time) to the fetus during the more
sensitive stages of development (between weeks 2 and 18 of pregnancy) can cause
birth defects…
radiation doses (above the dose received from 500 chest x-rays at one time) to the fetus during the more
sensitive stages of development (between weeks 2 and 18 of pregnancy) can cause
birth defects…
Weeks 18-25: radiation-induced
health effects are unlikely unless the fetus receives an extremely large dose
of radiation (5000 chest x-rays at one
time).
health effects are unlikely unless the fetus receives an extremely large dose
of radiation (5000 chest x-rays at one
time).
Week 26-birth: no more
sensitive to the effects of radiation than are newborns.
sensitive to the effects of radiation than are newborns.
To put that in
perspective, you would have to take roughly 35 lumbar spine x-rays at one time
to equal 500 chest x-rays or 350 lumbar spine x-rays to equate 5000 chest
x-rays! Now the message here is not that x-ray bears no risk. But don’t forget that these exposures are for
radiation pointed right at the baby as opposed to a cervical (neck) x-ray on a
pregnant mother with the proper lead apron protection reducing any scatter radiation
to the unborn child to a VERY low rate.
perspective, you would have to take roughly 35 lumbar spine x-rays at one time
to equal 500 chest x-rays or 350 lumbar spine x-rays to equate 5000 chest
x-rays! Now the message here is not that x-ray bears no risk. But don’t forget that these exposures are for
radiation pointed right at the baby as opposed to a cervical (neck) x-ray on a
pregnant mother with the proper lead apron protection reducing any scatter radiation
to the unborn child to a VERY low rate.
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