Over the last 10 years pregnant woman have seen an alarming increase in the number of radiological exams they undergo according to a study presented at the annual meeting of the Radiological Society of North America.
"Through medical imaging examinations, we are exposing pregnant women to twice the amount of radiation as we did 10 years ago," said Elizabeth Lazarus, M.D., assistant professor of diagnostic imaging at the Warren Alpert School of Medicine at Brown University in Providence, R.I. "Overall, the levels of radiation to which we are exposing pregnant women are low, but they do carry a slight risk of harm to the developing fetus."
The study conducted a retrospective analysis and complied data from radiological exams performed on women from 1997 to 2006. Researchers found that the number of tests had increased 121 percent, with the greatest number being an increase of CT scans which deliver more radiation than any other procedure.
"While performing CT exams during pregnancy is still uncommon, we found that pregnant women are being recommended for CT more often over the last 10 years," Dr. Lazarus said. She also cautions healthcare consumers to be aware of this trend. "I want to assure patients that CT can be a safe, effective test for pregnant patients," she said. "However, there are alternatives that should at least be explored. Pregnant patients should ask their doctors about other imaging or diagnostic tests that may not expose the fetus to radiation."
While the study found that most CT scans were done on areas of the mother's body other than the uterus, low levels of radiation have been shown to carry a small risk of harming the developing fetus.
[Source: News-Medical]
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