mammogram in early stages of pregnancy Posted: 02-03-08 10:27am
ok, here is the situation. I had to have
a digital mammogram on the 25th of january
and like a week before I took a pregnancy
test and it came back negative, so of
course when i was asked the question by
the tech is there any chance you can be
pregnant i said no. Well come to find out
friday that I am pregnant, and Im just shy
of 4 weeks I think. I cant call the dr
till tomorrow and Im worried about the
affects of the radiation in the early
stages of pregnancy. Does anyone know
what my risks are?
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kassie_sept08
New User, Becoming EHEALTHy
Joined: 03 Feb 2008 Posts: 15 Location: ,
i found this on a website..hope it helps! Posted: 02-03-08 18:27pm
Dr. Ashley Roman: Risks of radiation
exposure depend largely on the gestational
age of the fetus and the amount of
radiation the fetus is exposed to. Adverse
effects to the fetus may include mental
retardation, increased risk of developing
cancers such as childhood leukemia, and
fetal growth restriction.
But, in order to develop any of these
adverse effects, the fetus needs to be
exposed to a substantial amount of
radiation. For instance, the risk of
childhood leukemia seems to increase after
1-2 rad of exposure, and a mammogram is
associated with only 0.02 rad of exposure.
The effect is cumulative, though. So, if
you need multiple X-rays or CT scans in
pregnancy for whatever reason, the
exposure adds up.
The best advice is to speak with your
doctor about how necessary the mammogram
is during pregnancy. As with most things
in pregnancy, you will have to balance the
potential risks of radiation exposure to
the fetus with the benefit of early
detection of a breast abnormality.
