“Ext Of Effects Of Radiation Exposure To Fetus During Maternal Pregnancy.
The potential biological effects of in utero radiation exposure of a developing fetus include prenatal death, intrauterine growth restriction, small head size, mental retardation, organ malformations, and childhood cancer. The risk of each depends on gestational age of time of exposure, fetal cellular repair mechanisms and absorbed radiation dose level. A comparison between the dose level associated with each of these risks are minimal and therefore, the radiologic and nuclear examination should not be withheld from pregnant women. However, although the risks are small, it is important to ensure that radiation doses are kept low as reasonably achievable.
Possible Health Effects of Radiation Exposure on Unborn Babies
Increased Cancer Risk
-Radiation exposure before birth can increase a person's risk of getting cancer later in life.
-Unborn babies are especially sensitive to the cancer-causing effects of radiation. However, the increased risks depend on the amount of radiation to which the baby was exposed and the amount of time that it was exposed. For example, if the radiation dose to the unborn baby was roughly equivalent to 500 chest x-rays at one time, the increase in lifetime cancer risk would be less than 2% (above the normal lifetime cancer risk of 40 to 50%).
Other Risks from Radiation Exposure
-Health effects other than cancer from radiation exposure are not likely when the dose to the unborn baby is very low.
-Most researchers agree that babies who receive a small dose of radiation (equal to 500 chest x-rays or less) at any time during pregnancy do not have an increased risk for birth defects. The only increased risk to these babies is a slightly higher chance of having cancer later in life (less than 2% higher than the normal expected cancer risk of 40 to 50%).
During the first 2 weeks of pregnancy, the radiation-related health effect of greatest concern is the death of the baby.
The unborn baby is made up of only a few cells...
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