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Radiation Exposure and Pregnancy: When Should We Be Concerned?¹

¹ From the Department of Radiology, Mayo Clinic College of Medicine, 200 First St SW, Rochester, MN 55905. Recipient of a Certificate of Merit award for an education exhibit at the 2004 RSNA Annual Meeting. Received August 11, 2006; revision requested September 5 and received February 13, 2007; accepted February 13. C.H.M. received partial support from Siemens Medical Solutions for research not related to this article; all remaining authors have no financial relationships to disclose. Address correspondence to C.H.M. (e-mail: mccollough.cynthia{at}mayo.edu).

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 malformation, and childhood cancer. The risk of each effect depends on the gestational age at the time of exposure, fetal cellular repair mechanisms, and the absorbed radiation dose level. A comparison between the dose levels associated with each of these risks and the estimated fetal doses from typical radiologic examinations lends support to the conclusion that fetal risks are minimal and, therefore, that radiologic and nuclear medicine examinations that may provide significant diagnostic information should not be withheld from pregnant women. The latter position is advocated by the International Commission on Radiological Protection, National Council on Radiation Protection, American College of Radiology, and American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. However, although the risks are small, it is important to ensure that radiation doses are kept as low as reasonably achievable.

© RSNA, 2007

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