Is it possible to take dental x-rays for pregnant women? You need to be examined to see if pregnant women can have dental x-rays. Panoramic X-ray during pregnancy.

Toothache does not choose the time for its appearance, but more often it worsens during the period when a woman is pregnant. But won't dental x-rays during pregnancy cause harm to the unborn child? Despite the evidence presented for and against, the decision is made by the expectant mother.

Daily oral care such as rinsing, brushing twice daily, and flossing often provides significant protection against tooth decay. But during the period of bearing a child, the female body requires more calcium, otherwise the developing fetus will borrow a valuable microelement from the mother’s body.

Important! Even proper, balanced nutrition for the mother does not always lead to the accumulation of calcium. Toxicosis, nervous work, kidney problems sometimes interfere with calcium deposits in the teeth - you have to visit the dental office more often. But the dentist must be informed about the woman’s interesting situation.

When is an x-ray necessary:

If a diseased tooth is to be removed, they look at its root. Under favorable conditions, they try to preserve the tooth in order to avoid later violation of the density of the woman’s dentition.
If tooth root treatment is performed. There are cases when an apparently healthy tooth caused acute unbearable pain due to problems with the root.
Pulpitis, inflammation of tissues near the root, problems with the growth of wisdom teeth, if “kissing” caries occurs, gumboil.

In these cases, it is difficult to treat without a detailed study of the condition of the teeth. But sometimes it is better to postpone such research, to postpone it. Before starting the procedure, you need to ask the dentist what equipment is used for the image.

If you do not refuse, it is better to do an x-ray in the 2nd trimester of pregnancy

How are x-rays dangerous for the expectant mother and baby?

Scientific works have been written on how x-rays affect the development of a developing organism. But radiography has not been fully studied. However, the negative impact of radiation after the bombs dropped on Nagasaki and Hiroshima, after the Chernobyl nuclear power plant explosion, is known to the whole world.

As proof of the dangers of X-rays, the results of studies on pregnant dogs - nervous disorders and pathologies of the skeletal system of their offspring confirm the negative impact of radiation.

Is it possible for pregnant women to have dental x-rays done in the early stages? Doctors unanimously say that it is better to refuse the procedure and attempt to treat diseased teeth until at least the 17th week of pregnancy.

Possible harm from X-rays in the first trimester:

The child is just developing - in particular, the bone and immune systems are laid and formed, the brain, liver, adrenal glands, and reproductive system are developing. The influence of x-rays at this time can affect the fetus in unpredictable ways.
According to American scientists, every 20th baby who is born with a low weight was born this way due to medical X-ray exposure during the mother’s dental treatment.
Complications are likely in the form of early heart attacks in children, developmental disorders of the spine and feet, and pathologies of the nervous system.
There may also be signs of anemia in the unborn baby, and the circulatory system develops throughout pregnancy, for this reason the child is always at risk.
A particularly dangerous type of studying the jaw using Soviet models of X-ray equipment. Today, visiographs are widely used. They are considered relatively harmless.

The expectant mother needs to remember: the 2nd trimester and beyond is considered a favorable period for carrying out such a procedure. Until this time, it is postponed, even if the girl has a delay, but she does not yet know about the future pregnancy.

Otherwise, the doctor will suffer legally, even if the future mother signed an application for the possibility of using an X-ray machine for the purpose of taking an image.

X-ray radiation can be dangerous for both mother and unborn child

Peculiarities

Every day a person encounters X-rays. A woman is exposed to harmful radiation when she sunbathes under the sun, uses a computer, or watches TV. This impact has a more negative impact on the health of the fetus and the expectant mother.

Information about X-rays used in dental practice will help you make the right choice:

It is dangerous to perform irradiation studies on the extremities, especially the arms, chest, pelvis, and lumbar region. As for the head, here doctors often give the green light.
If in the first three months of interest it is strictly forbidden to take dental photographs, in the third trimester any adverse influences from the outside sometimes contribute to early labor, therefore the second trimester is considered ideal.
The equivalent of ionizing radiation in the international system is called a sievert. A person receives approximately 3 millisieverts (mSv) per year, and during one air flight more than 2 km above the ground, the expectant mother is exposed to 0.02 mSv. A dose of 1 mSv is considered harmless to the fetus, but even this amount of radiation is not used. After all, 1 mSv is 300-500 photographs of a tooth. Why so much?

Whether to take a picture or not is a question that is best answered together with a qualified dentist at a clinic where there is a place for the latest equipment and the doctor knows how to work with it.

Unfortunately, not everyone knows that taking a picture of the lower row of teeth is safer, because the beam is directed from bottom to top. It bypasses vital organs. If it comes to the top row, we can only rely on the doctor’s competence. But the radiation dose in any of these cases is relatively safe.

Whether to take an x-ray or not during pregnancy – always consult your doctor

How not to cause harm

In the first week of pregnancy, x-rays are dangerous. The girl may not yet feel her position if toxicosis, dizziness, or heightened perception of smells have not appeared. Sometimes, after a dental photograph is taken, menstruation that has started earlier is noticeable - this may be a signal of a premature termination of pregnancy.

To carry out a competent dental procedure, take into account the following nuances:

In the first trimester, they refuse this service; in the later stages, they perform it carefully, only informing the doctor about their situation. The expectant mother will be protected by wearing a special apron.
They do not start dental treatment, but immediately make an appointment - in order to preserve the tooth as much as possible with treatment until the time when the x-ray is taken.
Do not hesitate to inform the doctor about a possible pregnancy - taking medications for pain relief and treatment depends on this.
Learn more about dental imaging techniques. The CT produces a short, focused beam that is directed exclusively at the tooth rather than scattered. It is ten times safer than previous generation technology.

X-ray radiation is a stream of electromagnetic waves that a pregnant woman encounters even when she is not aware of it. Since it is too early to put an end to studying the influence of this phenomenon on the body, they are afraid of it. And for good reason. In large doses, it negatively affects the development of cells and leads to their mutation.

But almost 70% of cases of intractable medical problems are successfully solved thanks to accurate diagnostics obtained from x-rays.

Important! According to the documentation that dentists rely on (SanPiN 2.6.1.1192-03), it is recommended to take a picture of a woman in an interesting position only in the second half of pregnancy, in the first half - in case of emergency care.

In any case, it is possible to save teeth even in complex but not advanced cases. Damage to the roots and adjacent teeth often progresses, inflammatory or purulent processes develop, which risk becoming a source of dangerous infections. They cause more harm than a small dose of radiation.

Dental diseases often develop during pregnancy. The problem is associated with changes in hormonal levels and the body’s loss of a significant proportion of vitamins, as well as calcium. The need for this is not uncommon. In some cases, proper treatment cannot be done without scanning.

Can X-rays be done during pregnancy or not?

Since radiography is based on the use of a certain dose of radioactive radiation, the study cannot be considered completely safe. Of course, it is better to avoid inspection, but there are times when it is absolutely necessary.

It is also worth considering the equipment. There are two types of X-ray equipment:

Soviet-style devices. Old devices emit radiation, which is quite dangerous for pregnancy, especially in the early stages. For this reason, diagnosis was strictly prohibited.
Visiograph. Dental radiovisiograph with low radiation dose. The radiation dose of the device is 0.01-0.03 mSV, which is not dangerous for the fetus even after several consecutive examinations.

Conclusion: when a doctor prescribes an x-ray, avoid old-style equipment; instead, contact a specialized diagnostic center that has a visiograph in its arsenal.

Orthopantomograph

Features of diagnostics

Dental X-rays during pregnancy are prescribed in cases where it is impossible to carry out blind treatment. A thorough study of the bone structure of the tooth and adjacent tissues will allow us to determine the exact treatment tactics, and most importantly, effective ones. The specialist will prescribe the following procedures:

Panoramic (orthopantomogram) image. Designed for maximum visualization of the dental system. It has minimal radiation exposure and the greatest information content.
Extraoral. A standard X-ray unit is used. Prescribed for suspected cystic formations and pathologies of periodontal tissues.
Intraoral. It is used for photographic recording of a pathological area with its exact localization.

A specific type of study is selected individually, depending on the type of disease.

Precautions

Before undergoing the diagnostic procedure, it is necessary to remove metal jewelry and products to avoid distorting the results. A pregnant woman is put on a special lead apron that covers the abdominal area and mammary glands.

It is necessary to adequately assess the risks of a particular pathology and the need for an X-ray examination. For example: with an inflammatory process of the periosteum, more harm will come from the disease than from scanning with modern equipment.

What are the contraindications?

When X-rays were practiced using Soviet-style equipment, pregnancy was a contraindication to diagnosis. Today, the availability of modern equipment makes it possible to conduct examinations. Some exceptions:

When can you do without an x-ray?

In some cases, x-rays are not necessary. Already during a visual examination, the doctor determines the disease and treatment tactics. Thus, with caries, it is possible to do without an x-ray; the affected areas are visible to the naked eye.

However, there are situations where diagnostics are extremely necessary and can affect the course of therapy:

the need to seal canals located in such a way that there is a high risk of perforation;
the presence of a neoplasm on the gum surface;
injury to the subgingival zone;
the doctor suspects the presence of an inflammatory process of soft tissues;
with pathology of wisdom tooth eruption.

Consequences of x-rays and when is it better to do it?

Often, patients tell the gynecologist that they had a dental x-ray and did not know that they were pregnant. A number of studies have shown that radiation exposure can negatively affect fetal development in the first trimester. However, only 5% of patients showed unfavorable changes after scanning. In rare cases, radiation leads to:

pathologies of the circulatory system;
disruption of the structure of the bronchi;
pathologies of the development of the skull and brain;
congenital diseases of the digestive tract.

X-rays pose a great danger in the early stages of pregnancy, when the formation of organs and systems of the fetus occurs. The time for diagnosis is considered to be the second and third trimester, as well as for therapeutic manipulations.

Alternative research methods

Radiation exposure can be avoided. Today, magnetic resonance imaging is considered an alternative method. The main advantage is zero radiation exposure. MRI produces high-quality images of soft tissue that go beyond an X-ray or CT scan. However, the use of MRI is inappropriate for diagnosing bone structure. Maximum information content is achieved using radiography.

Scanning on modern digital devices requires a minimum radiation dose of 0.03 mSV. This allows the procedure to be prescribed not only to young children, but also to patients during pregnancy. Minimal radiation does not eliminate the need for prior consultation with a gynecologist.

Video: X-ray during hidden pregnancy

Everyone knows how important it is to monitor your oral health and undergo regular examinations by specialists, but dentists still remain the least “favorite” doctors.

Even expectant mothers, who now need to worry not only about their health, but also about their growing bodies, go to the dentist’s office reluctantly, and, as a rule, as a last resort.

This is also facilitated by dozens of myths that pregnant women cannot undergo a number of procedures related to dental treatment. One of these procedures is.

Why do you need to do dental x-rays?

Even an experienced dentist will not be able to identify all problems during an external, “superficial” examination of the tooth. makes it possible not only to find out the condition of bone tissue or gums, but also to make an accurate diagnosis.

The procedure is especially important when using X-rays you can see the length of the canal and the correctness of its filling during the treatment process.

X-ray examinations are also carried out after complex operations on, during installation or.

In many cases it is truly an integral part of treatment.

What fears are typical for pregnant women?

The benefits of dental radiography for doctors are obvious - one procedure will allow you to make the correct diagnosis and select the optimal treatment option for the problem. However, for most pregnant women it is easier to pull out a tooth than to undergo such an examination and correct treatment. Why?

During pregnancy, girls’ maternal instinct begins to “work” - this is why many quit smoking or begin to lead a healthy lifestyle after learning the good news.

There is a lot of talk about the dangers of X-rays, so women who are not pregnant sometimes refuse to undergo an examination for fear of radiation. If these two factors overlap, most likely no doctor will be able to convince the expectant mother that the procedure will not harm either her or the fetus.

The main fear of expectant mothers is the possibility of giving birth to a weak, premature baby who will have to survive for a long time in hospital conditions. Fears are also fueled by some figures, for example, American scientists claim that when performing x-rays, the risk of giving birth to a child with low body weight increases by 5%.

Should expectant mothers have x-rays?

Despite all the horror stories fueled by medical jargon, x-rays, even during pregnancy, are relatively safe.

More realistic studies by British scientists prove that while walking in an open area on a sunny summer day, the human body receives a much higher dose of radiation than during a single x-ray.

At the same time, during the experiments, parts of the body were irradiated, the dimensions of which significantly exceed the size of the jaw (and even more so the tooth). Thus, an x-ray will do no more harm than a walk along the embankment for several hours.

It’s another matter if there are no significant indications for x-rays. The pitfalls of this procedure have not yet been fully studied, and it makes no sense to risk your health and the life of your baby in vain.

If you carefully monitor your oral health and do not feel the need to carry out such procedures, refuse.

An interesting nuance - in most European dental clinics, women during pregnancy will be refused X-rays of their teeth in the early stages of less than 12 weeks. It is believed that up to 12–13 weeks the baby’s organs are formed, and x-rays can negatively affect this process. However, out of good intentions, many other treatment processes are canceled at this time, which are stressful for both mother and child.

Safety comes first!

There are several rules that will help you carry out dental x-rays most safely:

In what order is radiography performed?

Research stages:

It all starts with a visit to the doctor. We are talking about an X-ray of a tooth or lungs - it doesn’t matter, because the procedure will not be performed on a pregnant woman without the testimony of a specialist.
The girl takes a comfortable position in the dentist's chair and covered with a protective lead apron. It is unlikely that rays directed at the tooth will enter the abdominal cavity, but protection should not be neglected. In addition to an apron, some clinics may also offer you a special Class E film that can reduce the level of radiation exposure.
The process of x-raying a tooth with older machines is similar to taking an x-ray of any other part of the body. A small sheet of special paper is used to record the condition., which may need to be bitten or gently placed between teeth in an upright position. New equipment, visiographs, simplify and speed up the procedure.
For each tooth, depending on the problem, a specific radiation spectrum is selected, which is in no case exceeded and the beam is pointedly directed to problem areas.

About the (un)foundedness of fears once again

Since dental radiography is an infrequent procedure in itself, it is prescribed even less frequently for pregnant women. For this, the dentist must have good reasons - inflammation of the root canal, fracture of the tooth root, problematic or critically advanced cases in which there is a possibility of removal.

Of course, even with such a diagnosis, you can postpone the x-ray and wait until childbirth, but it is better to listen to the dentist’s opinion and not to worsen the condition of the oral cavity. Otherwise, there will be terrible pain, the inability to chew normally and inflammatory processes, which will become much more stress for the body than a single medical exposure.

If your city has a dental clinic with a visiograph, there is no reason to panic at all:

Firstly, the beam of this device has a very narrow focus and covers only one tooth, without spreading to neighboring tissues.
Secondly, The doses emitted by the device are so small that are lost in the “usual” radiation background.
And thirdly, this is much better than starting the problem and it's painful to get rid of it later, isn't it?

There is no need to stress yourself out, if only because of the fact that the narrow beam needed for a dental x-ray will in no way reach the abdominal cavity. This means it won’t harm the child either.

The results of the latest research can finally reassure expectant mothers. Indeed, in 5% of cases, when receiving a radiation dose of 1 rad, a child is born with developmental disabilities. But even if the expectant mother has to take several photographs covering the entire oral cavity, she will receive a dose of no more than 0.0001 rad.

X-rays can indeed be postponed or rescheduled at the request of the expectant mother, but if this is an extreme necessity - don't be nervous.

Both logic and numbers speak about one thing - there is a certain risk when performing an X-ray of the kidneys, pelvis or genitourinary system, but not the oral cavity.

The main thing is to find a place with new equipment and qualified doctors and no longer neglect the health of your teeth and gums.

This one of the frequently asked questions is akin to the difference between a car and a traffic light... It seems that both concepts have some kind of connection, but it is somehow difficult to compare them. It's the same here. A radiovisiograph is a system that receives x-ray radiation, transforms it into digital form and displays the image on a computer screen. Roentgen (who is Wilhelm Conrad) is a long-dead German physicist who gained worldwide fame for his discovery of short-wavelength rays with enormous penetrating power. The physicist himself called these rays X-rays (in English today they are called exactly that - X-ray), but now we often call them X-rays, and in everyday life simply “X-rays”. The unit of radiation power was also called the x-ray. Now it is clear that a visiograph and an x-ray are completely different things. If we compare the visiograph with anything, it is with x-ray film, which it is universally replacing from all areas of medicine.

Is it true that a visiograph is safer than a regular film photograph?

When asked about such a comparison, they mean the radiation exposure that the patient receives when using different techniques. In this sense, indeed, a visiograph is preferable, since its sensor is much more sensitive than the best film. Therefore, to obtain a high-quality image using a visiograph, much shorter shutter speeds are needed. To take a picture on film, the shutter speed is 0.5-1.2 seconds. To obtain the same image using a visiograph sensor – 0.05-0.3 sec. Those. 10 times shorter. As a result, the radiation exposure received by the patient when using a visiograph is reduced to an insignificant minimum.

How many pictures can you take at one time? And in general, isn’t it harmful when treating a large number of teeth that you have to take a lot of X-rays?

This is the most pressing question asked about x-rays. Either as an echo of Chernobyl, or because of life safety lessons that come to mind, but in our society there is a very strong phobia for everything that is even remotely connected in our heads with radiation. Any extra photo often raises questions about radiation sickness, or “will I glow in the dark?” Therefore, I will try to explain in more detail here. First from the point of view of naked science.

To measure the amount of radiant energy applied to living tissue, various units are used - joule per kilogram, gray, rem, sievert, etc. In medicine, for x-ray procedures, the dose received by the entire body during one procedure is usually assessed - the effective equivalent dose, measured in sieverts. According to SanPiN 2.6.1.1192-03, when carrying out preventive medical x-ray procedures and scientific research, this dose should not exceed 1000 μSv (microsievert) per year. Moreover, here we are talking specifically about preventive studies, and not about therapeutic ones, where this bar is much higher. What is 1000 µSv? Is it a lot or a little? Remembering the famous cartoon, the answer is simple - depending on what you measure it in. 1000 μSv is approximately:

500 targeted images (2-3 μSv) obtained using a radiovisiograph
100 of the same images, but using good X-ray film (10-15 µSv)
80 digital * (13-17 µSv)
40 film orthopantomograms (25-30 µSv)
20 * (45-60 µSv)
So, as you can see, even if we take 1 image on a visiograph every day throughout the year, in addition to a couple of 3D computed tomograms per year, and the same number of orthopantomograms, then even in this case we will not go beyond the limits of the safe permitted doses There is only one conclusion - there is no need to be afraid of receiving a significant dose during dental interventions. No matter how hard you try, it is unlikely that you will be able to go beyond the permissible values. To make it clear, below are the doses required to produce any serious health effects:
- 750,000 µSv - short-term minor change in blood composition
- 1,000,000 µSv - mild radiation sickness
- 4,500,000 μSv - severe radiation sickness (50% of those exposed die)
- A dose of about 7,000,000 μSv is considered absolutely lethal
  All these figures are incomparable in their significance with the doses we receive in everyday life. So, even if, for some reason, several pictures are taken in a row at once, and the day before you were already “exposed” by doing an orthopantomogram, you don’t need to panic and run to the store to buy a Geiger counter or type “the first symptoms of radiation sickness” into an Internet search engine. . To calm yourself down, it’s better to “detoxify” with a glass of red wine. There will be no point in this, but the mood will immediately improve.
  Is it possible to do x-rays for pregnant women?
  I will not expand on the topic that it would be better to prepare for pregnancy in advance, including “preparing” your own teeth at the dentist in advance. Yes, so as not to run away later with acute pain and be killed by doubts whether this or that manipulation will harm the developing baby... Therefore, let’s leave the lyrics and look at the bare facts and common sense. Without phobias, prejudices, speculations and myths. So, is it possible to do x-rays for pregnant women? Here's what they write to us about this in the documents (SanPiN 2.6.1.1192-03):
  7.16. Pregnant women are prescribed for X-ray examination only according to clinical indications. Studies should, if possible, be carried out in the second half of pregnancy, except in cases where the issue of termination of pregnancy or the need for emergency or emergency care must be decided. If pregnancy is suspected, the question of the admissibility and necessity of an x-ray examination is decided based on the assumption that there is a pregnancy...
  7.18. X-ray examinations of pregnant women are carried out using all possible means and methods of protection so that the dose received by the fetus does not exceed 1 millisievert for two months of undetected pregnancy. If the fetus receives a dose exceeding 100 mSv, the doctor is obliged to warn the patient about the possible consequences and recommend terminating the pregnancy."
  In general, the conclusion from these two main points is simple and clear. In the first half of pregnancy, it’s definitely not worth taking pictures, but in the second half - 1 mSv for a visiograph - this is practically unlimited.
  I would also like to add here that I have often encountered the militant stubbornness of such an opinion: - absolute evil. It’s better, they say, to screw up a tooth, to cure crooked canals... there are a lot of teeth, pregnancy is more important. Moreover, such sermons are given not only by lay patients who have little understanding of the essence of things, but also often by dentists themselves, who have forgotten their school physics course. To resolve this doubt, we must understand that sources of ionizing radiation are not only found in medical offices. And you don’t have to live next to Chernobyl (and now Fukushima) to receive some doses from the environment around us every day. After all, every second we are affected by both natural sources (sun, water, earth) and man-made ones. And the doses received from them are much greater than those received from an x-ray of a tooth. For clarity, we can give one simple example. As you know from a school physics course, the sun emits electromagnetic energy in a wide range, not only in infrared (heat), visible (light), ultraviolet (tan), but also in x-rays and gamma radiation. Moreover, the higher you are from the surface of the earth, the more rarefied the atmosphere is and, therefore, the weaker the protection from sufficiently strong radiation from the sun. And after all, while “fighting” radiation at the dentist, the same people often calmly fly south to bask in the sun and eat fresh fruit. Moreover, during a 2-3 hour flight “for a healthy” climate, a person receives 20-30 μSv, i.e. the equivalent of approximately 10-15 images on a visiograph. In addition, 1.5-2 hours in front of a cathode ray monitor or TV gives the same dose as 1 picture... How many pregnant women, sitting at home, watching TV series, hanging out on the Internet, think about how many pictures they “took” while watched another program, and then discussed it with friends on the forum and social networks? Almost no one, because the average person does not associate all this with ionizing radiation, unlike an image in a doctor’s office.
  And yet, dear expectant mothers, prepare for pregnancy in advance. For many people, visiting the dentist still remains stressful. And it’s not so much that anesthesia or x-rays can be harmful during this period, but what is important is your peace of mind and the absence of unnecessary worries (of which many already have more than enough during this period).
  What is the best protection to use if you need to take a picture of a pregnant woman? Is it better if the doctor puts 2 protective aprons on me?
  The number of aprons does not matter! See above . In contact radiography, the apron essentially protects not from direct radiation, but from secondary, that is, reflected. To X-ray radiation, the human body is an optical medium, just like a glass cube is to a flashlight beam. Point the beam of a flashlight at one of the faces of a large glass cube, and, regardless of the thickness and direction of the beam, the entire cube will be illuminated. It’s the same with a person - you can swaddle him completely in lead and shine only on his head - at least a little, but it will reach every heel. So, under two aprons with a good lead equivalent, it will simply be harder for a pregnant woman to breathe.
  Is it possible to do x-rays for nursing mothers? And if possible, then what about feeding the child after the procedure?
  Can. X-rays are not the same as radioactive waste. By itself, it does not accumulate in the biological environment. If you give a loaf of bread a lethal dose, it will not mutate, get radiation sickness, or begin to “foul.” X-rays differ from light rays only in wavelength and have a direct damaging effect only under certain conditions. If you shine a flashlight into a bucket of water and turn off the flashlight, the light won't stay in the bucket, right? The same is true in a protein-fat solution, which are many biological fluids (including breast milk) - the radiation passes through, weakening in denser tissues. So, with such a load, which is necessary to work with a visiograph, the milk itself is unlikely to do anything. As a last resort, to reassure yourself, you can skip one regular feeding. Another thing is that the breast tissue itself during lactation is, of course, more susceptible to the harmful effects of radiation. But, again, we are talking about doses more powerful than is necessary for digital radiography (of course, subject to all protective measures and without “shooting” 20 times anywhere).
  P.S. Materials from articles and books by one of the most authoritative radiologists in Russian dentistry, D.V. Rogatskin, were used.

After confirmation of the fact of pregnancy, an extremely responsible and important stage begins in a woman’s life, which must be approached with maximum readiness and knowledge of a number of significant nuances. The health of her unborn baby directly depends on the health of the expectant mother.

Particular attention should be paid to examinations that require the use of X-ray equipment, because such radiation by default is not absolutely safe for an adult, so comments regarding the developing fetus are completely unnecessary.

Many mothers are interested in what to do if an x-ray was taken earlier, when the pregnancy was not yet known, and what to do if during pregnancy they have to undergo such an examination?

After reading the information below, you will get a complete understanding of the features and consequences of the impact of the examination in question on the body of the mother and child during pregnancy in general and in the early stages in particular.

The mechanism of action of such radiation on the body of a pregnant woman has long been carefully studied to the smallest detail. It has been established that a child developing inside a woman is very vulnerable, which is why x-rays, which, as noted, are not entirely safe for adults, can negatively affect the processes of fetal formation.

When X-rays interact with body tissues, the process of water ionization occurs, during which various active radicals are formed. Under the influence of the latter, cell division disorders are observed. The result of such processes is disastrous - chromosomal pathologies appear, as a result of which the cells can either die completely or mutate, turning into genetically inferior or cancerous.

Under the influence of X-ray radiation, tumors, various malformations and other genetic disorders can form in the fetus. The most serious damage occurs when radiation is delivered with a power of more than 1 mSv - in this case, the woman is likely to either have a miscarriage or have a child born seriously ill.

In support of the above-described situation, experts cite the results of experiments on animals and medical cases recorded after the bombing of the Japanese cities of Hiroshima and Nagasaki - of the women who managed to survive and maintain pregnancy, about 20% gave birth to children with various types of developmental disorders. The most frequently reported defects were the nervous system.

Features of the influence of x-rays in the early stages

X-rays are most dangerous during the first 2 months of pregnancy. According to medical research data, after the 16th week of pregnancy, rays are not able to provoke developmental defects in the developing baby, but this does not mean that after this time a woman can be exposed to radiation uncontrollably.

In general, radiography can be classified into 3 main hazard groups. Information regarding these points is given in the following table.

Table. Classification of radiography by degree of danger

Group	Description
The most dangerous x-ray examinations	The greatest harm to the expectant mother and the child developing inside her comes from x-ray examinations of the abdominal cavity and spine, as well as the pelvis. Under these conditions, the rays pass directly through the child.
Medium risk examinations	Less dangerous compared to the examinations described above, but still requiring caution and maximum attention, are x-ray examinations of the lungs, limbs, head, and chest. There is no direct irradiation of the fetus, but the mother herself is exposed to fairly strong radiation, and the image covers a fairly large area.
Low risk examinations	The following examinations are classified as minimally dangerous: x-rays of the nose and teeth. To carry out such manipulations, special equipment is used, covering a much smaller area compared to standard images.

In general, doctors always refrain from prescribing X-ray examinations for pregnant patients. The only exception is made in situations where, without an x-ray, the woman’s health and life are at serious risk, or an artificial termination of pregnancy is planned in the future.

The information given earlier can shock any expectant mother. However, in reality the situation in most cases is less dangerous and complex. Having studied the provisions of the regulatory documentation used by doctors, you can find that x-rays are strictly prohibited to be performed exclusively during the first trimester.

As noted, the most dangerous radiation for a baby is radiation of 1 mSv. For comparison, to achieve a similar level, it is necessary to take at least 50 chest photographs (1 mSv includes 1000 μSv, and during one chest X-ray procedure no more than 20 μSv is emitted).

In general, if the examination in question was done after the 16th week of pregnancy, the consequences for the baby are unlikely to be too dangerous. In practice, it has been established that a significant threat to the baby arises only if the pregnant woman undergoes multiple x-rays of the danger zones listed in the table above. But under any circumstances, the need and safety of using radiographic examination is discussed with the doctor individually.

In some situations, it is impossible to refuse x-rays. As a rule, in the case of pregnancy, such procedures are prescribed only to patients at risk of various types of severe complications that pose a threat to the mother or fetus.

As noted, the closer the examined area is to the fetus, the greater the danger for the latter. In general, specialists use various types of protective equipment to help reduce the intensity of the harmful effects on the baby. For example, if a woman has to have an x-ray of a limb, shielding will be used to protect the abdomen, chest and pelvic area. However, even such protection is not 100% effective, so after an x-ray it is necessary to undergo an ultrasound examination to check the condition of the developing fetus.

To minimize the risks for herself and her developing child, a woman needs to remember a few simple recommendations and strictly follow them in the future.

If it is impossible to avoid an X-ray examination, warn the specialist performing it about the fact of pregnancy.

Thus, an x-ray, even if it is performed in the early stages, is not always a 100% guarantee of the occurrence of pathologies in the baby, but such examinations cannot be called completely safe either, so they are resorted to only in extreme cases and only after a preliminary consultation with a specialist.