worried sick about radiation exposure help

[ransomans]

I have messaged a midwife about this too she has forwarded my email im just awaiting a response :(
back on early of October I drove a family member to and from an mri with radioactive dye she had to see for an aneurysm (in her words)

I was in the car with her taking her home afterwards for about 1 hour.
And was around 3 weeks 3 days pregnant here without even knowing I was pregnant.

it's just crossed my mind now at nearly 15 weeks but now I'm very worried I have exposed the baby to radiation back then just by being next to her driving her home and so worried and upset it might of caused some harm?
I have had a 12 week scan like a week and a half ago and all seem good.

I haven't been able to eat or do anything since thinking about this last night and im so upset worrying waiting for an answer from the midwifes :(

Sometimes they do nuclear medicine scane on patients who are pregnant if they suspect pulmonary embolism. They do try to avoid radiation but it happens, and the risks are very low. I think so early in the pregnancy by far the biggest risk is miscarriage, which would have happened already.

Your baby will be fine.

Also, congratulations!

I really pray everything is ok as now ive had the scan all I can do it look at it and feel so guilty if anything has affected the poor baby!
but thank you for your fast reply I did read on here a lady actually had to have a mri with the contrast and she's seems all ok so im trying not to worry but googles just says the worst,
and yes I did suspect at 3 weeks if I did receive any radiation it would've resulted in a mc. on the bright side the midwife did say it is reassuring the scan seems all good at 12 weeks
but thank you for your congratulations !

There's background radiation everywhere all the time and no one thinks twice about it.
I had an xray when pregnant and baby was fine.

that is true and I didnt think twice about that I had also had a dental X-ray back In September but would've been like 2 weeks maybe 1 and a half so didnt mention that as it seems theyre ok

Is it even radioactive?? I've had several and never been told that.. also I doubt you'd be at any risk just sitting in the car even if it was, you'll be fine

I've googled it.. it's not radioactive

I rang the family member today and I didnt realise they used it the radioactive one for mri's I did ask her several times if it was PET scan or CT she seems adamant it was mri and specially said raidioactive injection that's why I was so worried but she's about 70 so unsure if she can remember well enough ..

she seemed to say it was radioactive injection without even mentioning that as well but I did ask her did they say to you you will be radiating radiation or to stay away from anyone ( she doesn't know im pregnant still) and she said no no one said anything so idk if thats reassuring or not

No that can’t be right. Radioactive dyes are not used in MRI.
If she did have a radioactive dye, you won’t be affected by sitting next to her for a short while. Stop Googling!

MRI dye is called Gadolinium so that may be what's confusing her, it does sound like something that could be radioactive. There is no radiation involved in MRI and no radioactive dye is administered in MRI - only in Nuclear Med and PET/CT (radiographer trained in both areas). So your risk would be zero if it was an MRI she had.

I haven't been able to eat or do anything since thinking about this last night
this is not a proportionate reaction.
You need to talk to your midwife about your anxiety.
how do you think anyone who works in a hospital copes since in theory people are walking around with radiative dye in them all the time, if your theory was correct.
and wouldn’t they give a warning at the hospital if the person was literally dangerously radioactive for hours after?
your scan also showed everything was fine.

anxiety is a normal and difficult part of pregnancy, so please don’t think I’m being harsh, but this level of worry about something that happened 9 weeks ago is just not sustainable for you, there’s a long way to go still and then you have all the anxieties of being a new mum, better to get this in check now. Good luck

so it must of been a pet scan or ct , so even if it was one of these and she did have radioactive dye would I of been ok being next to her after for an hour?

You'll be fine!

I don't thats fair to be honest to say my reaction isn't proportionate , I didnt go in there with her so I don't know what they said or didnt to her I can only go off what she told me..
I get where ur coming from but im fine normally but I did google this knowing its a stupid thing to do as google says the worst and wont be doing it again
I just want my baby to be ok that all..

Honestly if there was any risk they would have told her to stay away from others etc

I've also had a ct and wasn't told that I was any risk to other people.

In contrast when my son has had live vaccines (flu, totavirus) I've been told to keep him away from the elderly etc for a period of time

MRI contrast is not radioactive in general as MRI uses magnets to alter the hydrogen alignment in your body rather than x-rays. I suspect they had gadolinium contrast which does not come with the radioactive advice that other isotopes do (for example some bone density scans or thyroid scans may use a type of radioactive injections and very specific advice is given to patients). I think the risks are minimal. You would get more radioactivity taking a transatlantic flight than most modern imaging investigations, and I'm sure most pregnant women (and flight attendants) would think little of that.

When treatment does involve patients being possibly a danger to others, they are told this and given advice on precautions to take. If she was allowed to leave without being told that I think you can safely assume that whatever she had done, you are ok.

It won't have been a PET scan, they're not used to detect aneurysm. A regular CT scan would be fine, she's not radioactive after it and would not have received a radioactive dye. CT or MRI would be the scans used to detect or monitor aneurysm and both of these are completely fine for you to have accompanied her with no risk involved

When you get a radioactive dye injection they tell you to stay away from pregnant women and small children for a few days. I've had several nuclear medicine scans.

They don't use radioactive dye for ct or mri scans only nuclear medicine scans . I used to be a radiographer.

ahh thank you, im feeling much better now, she must of just had normal dye and maybe got confused, and it was to monitor her aneurysms so this makes sense I feel quite silly now 😶

I was 36 weeks pregnant when I had a chest scan using radioactive dye. Have a healthy 11 year old. Please try not to worry.

She also would have had a 'warning' bracelet put on her if an isotope was used.

I want to say thanks for the messages everyone and your insight, the midwife just replied saying if that is what she had the risk would be very low, and it is reassuring the 12 week scan was normal , also no need for additional screening needed just my next 20 week scan

My Mum had radioactive iodine when she was pregnant with me for something to do with her thyroid. I'm fine (was 54 years ago)
Understandable you are worried but I'm sure you will both be fine x