Why x ray is not good for pregnant

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Navigate this Article. Plain films. Skull 4. Dental 5. Cervical spine 4. Mammogram 6. Thoracic spine 4. Pelvis 4. CT scans slice thickness: 10 mm. Fluoroscopic studies. Barium swallow 6. Barium enema 6. Nuclear medicine studies. Ventilation-perfusion scan total.

Environmental sources for comparison. X-ray imaging. Magnetic resonance imaging. Once your provider knows you're pregnant, they may recommend holding off or getting a different test. Even if they give you the go-ahead, let the technician running the test know. They may have extra precautions they take for pregnant women, such as covering your belly with a lead apron to protect the fetus from radiation exposure.

It's just as important to tell your provider and technician if you might be pregnant. They may ask you to take a pregnancy test first to confirm. So, if you've been actively trying or showing signs of pregnancy - like nausea, vomiting, or breast tenderness - say something. In general, radiology tests are safe while breastfeeding after pregnancy.

Even if you take a contrast - a temporary dye used in certain imaging tests - the amount of contrast that gets passed to your baby in breast milk is extremely low, so it's not considered risky. However, it's still a good idea to let your physician and the technician know if you're breastfeeding.

They may have their own recommendations as to whether to hold off on the test or on the breastfeeding. They can help you decide on the path that's safest for both you and your baby. Call to schedule an appointment or for more information. You will need a referral for most radiology tests. Medical imaging exams are generally safe during pregnancy. If you are pregnant, it is acceptable to have an imaging exam when your doctor considers it necessary to determine your future course of medical care.

Bear in mind that your health is important to the health of your baby. For this reason, ultrasound is commonly used during pregnancy, with no known cases of harm to an unborn baby from such a procedure. Though not used as often as ultrasound, the same is true of MRI. Radiography , fluoroscopy , computed tomography CT and nuclear medicine imaging exams all use x-rays to produce images. X-rays are an example of ionizing radiation. This type of radiation can be harmful when delivered in high quantities, but such quantities are seldom reached in these types of medical imaging exams.

Therefore, the potential risk is very small. Even so, it is important that your doctor knows you are pregnant when an x-ray, CT or nuclear imaging examination is being considered.

Being aware of your pregnancy can help your doctor select the most appropriate imaging exam for your condition and keep your exposure to radiation as low as reasonably achievable to produce the necessary information. If you had an x-ray or CT exam after conception, but before you discovered you were pregnant, you should not be overly concerned.