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Pregnancy is a wonderful time, but it can also be frightening -- it seems like there are a million and ten things that can harm your unborn child. At Iowa Radiology, we know how nervous you might be about undergoing a radiologic procedure while you’re pregnant. Our policies and procedures are designed to keep both you and your baby as safe as possible, with the lowest risk to both of you.
Our policies and procedures protect you and your baby.
Our standard practice is to ask every female patient not obviously beyond reproductive age who is scheduled for a procedure involving radiation to her pelvic region whether she is or may be pregnant. If you’re unsure, we might ask for a pregnancy test to be safe. If you are pregnant, our technologists will consult with the radiologist in charge to make sure that a careful and personalized plan is developed just for you. This examination plan will take into account how far along you are in your pregnancy, the reason you’ve been prescribed the exam, and the best possible way to get the most accurate and useful information with the least possible radiologic exposure to you and your baby.
If it’s possible, we’ll use ultrasound imaging, which doesn’t use radiation at all; it uses sound waves. But, if an ultrasound can’t give your care providers the information they need, we support safe use of CT and MRI technology.
But is it really safe? Does it put me or my baby at any risk?
According to the ACR 2008 Appropriateness Criteria & American Council of Obstetrics and Gynecologists: "[X]-ray exposure from a single diagnostic procedure does not result in harmful fetus effects. Specifically, exposure to <5rad (50mGy) has not been associated with an increase in fetal anomalies or pregnancy loss." A CT scan uses X-ray technology during the imaging process, so some radiation is produced. But an ordinary, normal CT scan of the uterus usually results in a radiation dose of less than half the amount of which is deemed to be safe for your pregnancy or your baby’s development.
There is a very small increased risk of childhood cancer due to x-ray radiation exposure to the fetus (an increased risk of about one-tenth of a percent for one normal procedural exposure of 25 mGy). There is also a very small increase in the absolute lifetime cancer risk of for you or your child.
Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) uses a magnetic field rather than ionizing radiation to produce internal images, so it can be safely performed in ALL trimesters of pregnancy. The policies, guidelines, and recommendations for MRI Safety and patient management issued by the Safety Committee of the Society for Magnetic Resonance Imaging in 1991 state that “MR imaging may be used in pregnant women if other nonionizing forms of diagnostic imaging are inadequate or if the examination provides important information that would otherwise require exposure to ionizing radiation (e.g., fluoroscopy, CT, etc.). Pregnant patients should be informed that, to date, there has been no indication that the use of clinical MR imaging during pregnancy has produced deleterious effects.”[1] If an MRI is best for you, we will not use gadolinium contrast material because it can cross the placental barrier and potentially affect your developing baby. Other contrast materials have not been shown to lead to any problems, however, and can be used without worry.
Making an Educated Decision
One of our expert radiologists will meet with you to discuss the risks and benefits of the radiologic procedure for which you’ve been referred. Despite the possible risks, sometimes these images are vital to diagnosing and treating an even more potentially harmful problem or disease, and we ask that you discuss this evaluation thoroughly with your referring physician as well. If it’s medically advisable for you to proceed with an exam that involves radiation, we will take every extra effort possible to minimize the exposure and risk to both you and your baby.
Oh -- and congratulations!
The information contained in the Iowa Radiology website is presented as public service information only. It is not intended to be nor is it a substitute for professional medical advice. You should always seek the advice of your physician or other qualified healthcare provider if you think you may have a medical problem before starting any new treatment, or if you have any questions regarding your medical condition.
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