"Doctor, will that x-ray harm my unborn child?"

Diagnosis of DVT

“…Investigators using simulation techniques have calculated the radiation to the fetus during the performance of unilateral venography with abdominal shielding to be , 0.05 rads and 0.32 rads when shielding is removed. 188 Radiation doses of Յ 5 rads do not appear to be associated with an increased risk of pregnancy loss, 189,190 and it has been suggested that the risk of fetal malformation only increases above background levels at radiation doses . 15 rads.…”

“…15 rads. 189,190 However, studies have reported up to a twofold increase in the risk of childhood malignancies with radiation exposures of up to 5 rads. 188 In absolute terms, this equates to a potential increase in the incidence of cancer in the fi rst year of life from 0.1% to 0.2%.…”

Pregnancy and the risk of a traffic crash

“…[1][2][3][4] The outcomes for survivors are also concerning, given that brain injury in early life can contribute to neurologic deficits in later life. 5 Emergency care of an injured pregnant woman is further problematic because the physiologic changes of pregnancy can mask the usual signs of acute blood loss (e.g., tachycardia, hypotension), resuscitation science is incomplete (e.g., clinical trials usually exclude pregnant women) and trauma protocols need adjustment (e.g., iodine contrast radiography can potentially harm a fetus). 4,5 Even rudimentary care such as analgesia can be complicated when a pregnant woman is involved.…”

“…5 Emergency care of an injured pregnant woman is further problematic because the physiologic changes of pregnancy can mask the usual signs of acute blood loss (e.g., tachycardia, hypotension), resuscitation science is incomplete (e.g., clinical trials usually exclude pregnant women) and trauma protocols need adjustment (e.g., iodine contrast radiography can potentially harm a fetus). 4,5 Even rudimentary care such as analgesia can be complicated when a pregnant woman is involved. 6 Every crash creates worry and potential future litigation that might have been avoided if the crash had been prevented.…”

Prenatal radiation exposure

“…Ionizing radiation includes particles (alpha and beta particles) and electro-magnetic radiation (gamma rays and x-rays) and it can alter the normal structure of a living cell. 3 The average annual exposure of radiation from cosmic rays, radioactive substances in the environment and naturally occurring radiation in the human body is 1 mGy (0.1 rad). 4 Common medical applications of nonionizing and ionizing radiation are presented in Table 1.…”