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24 May 2012

Answer to Question #1589 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Pregnancy and Radiation — Exposures to embryo/fetus

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

Not knowing that I was pregnant, I had two pelvic/back x rays at 10-11 days after conception. The doctor's office has given me two different sets of figures for the level of exposure and is unsure as to which levels I received. The figures are:

View - AP - 74, either 200 at 2/5 or 300 at 3/10
View - Lat - 84, either 200 at 4/5 or 300 at 1/2.

How do these figures translate to rads or millirads? I'm experiencing some potential signs of miscarriage and am wondering if these exposures could have harmed the embryo.

I understand your concern about a radiation exposure during pregnancy. Let us see if I can be of assistance. First of all, the exposure calculations are in millirads. This dose of irradiation is too low to cause either birth defects or a miscarriage. If your date of conception is accurate, the embryo was at a stage of development that is not likely to be malformed at even very high doses of x-irradiation. At this very early stage of pregnancy, miscarriages are very common. Approximately half of the fertilized eggs are miscarried during the first month of pregnancy. Robert Brent MD, PhD

Answer posted on 25 January 2002. The information and material posted on this website is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may alter the concepts and applications of materials and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice specific to whatever facts and circumstances are presented in any given situation. Answers are correct at the time they are posted on the Website. Be advised that over time, some requirements could change, new data could be made available, or Internet links could change. For answers that have been posted for several months or longer, please check the current status of the posted information prior to using the responses for specific applications.