Chest X-ray in pregnancy

[bunny85]

Hi all. I hope someone can share their opinions with me as I'm in a state of sheer panic. Please don't just try to reassure me, I'd like an honest opinion even if it is a negative one.

So I'm 24 weeks pregnant with my second child. Right now I'm in the hospital where they are keeping me for now after I came to triage with pain and fever. After some tests they said I'll need to have a chest X-ray done which I stupidly agreed to, and it came back totally normal. The pain however has now subsided after some medication for the stomach (so clearly was no need for the X-ray had they started with stomach medication on the first place). To say that I'm upset is an understatement. I'm panicking that my baby has been radiated, I know at 24 weeks there isn't a risk of miscarriage/birth defects, but I've read that the risk could be of baby developing cancer in childhood, and that's my main fear.

I suppose what I'm looking for is stories of women who had a chest X-ray done while pregnant and now have grown up children, I'd like to know if that affected them (children) in any way.

Sorry for the rumbling post, don't know if that is my hormones talking but probably not as I'm convinced the X-ray was unnecessary and I just can't forgive myself for going along with what they were doing...thanks for getting this far...

Anyone?

Hi bunny 85.

I had an xray when I was expecting my first child. It was a chest x Ray and all was fine. Ds was born healthy and has suffered no lasting effects.

I am 45! 45 years ago there was no ultrasound and my mother was xrayed around 6 times in the last trimester. I was breech and they were hoping I would turn naturally. I didn't and was born by c section. I don't think I have suffered in any negative way. I think if Mum wasn't x rayed I wouldn't be here now.

Just out of interest, how many times have you been x rayed?

It's probably worth discussing it with your midwife

They would not have offered you the x-ray if they didn't think it was the right thing to do. Doctors very seriously weigh up the risk in these scenarios. You didn't make the wrong decision.

During a chest X ray most of the radiation goes through your chest. Your baby will have been exposed to less radiation from the X ray than he/she would naturally receive during the course of your pregnancy through natural radiation from the sun and earth. The risk really is very small.

Thank you so much for the replies.

1Supersonic only just once. One chest x ray.

I had a chest X-ray when pregnant with DD 2 as I suffered repeated chest infections.

I’m pleased to say that DD is now a fit and healthy 25 year old!

Please don’t worry Bunny - easier said than done I know and I was exactly the same as you and worried myself silly, but the risk is minimal.

The amount of radiation you/the baby would get is tiny.
Xrays aren’t allowed to be carried out with a justifiable reason so the doctors would have had to give radiology staff enough clinical reasoning in order for them to undertake the xray.
Also babies that are born prematurely get x-rays all the time in the special care baby unit so one xray is really not going to do any harm.

Thank you all for the reassurance. Especially it's great to hear from those ladies who had the X-ray done and the children are absolutely fine.

Melonballer1234 I didn't know this about premature babies! Off to google...