This research is about radiation exposure to pregnant females. Pregnant females are often exposed to radiation from medical equipment such as X-Ray machines, security scanners, hazards from nuclear facilities, and other equipment in the workplace. There has been raising concerns as to whether radiation has any impact on pregnant females. While some argue radiation is harmful, some people believe radiation has no impact. This paper will review evidence gathered from previous investigations. The paper will discuss radiation and its impacts on the pregnant females. The paper will conclude with a summary of the findings.
Radiation can be classified as ionising radiation and non-ionizing radiation. While ionising radiation (such as cosmic rays, x-ray machines, and radioactive elements) can affect tissues and DNAs of living things, non-ionizing radiations (such as microwaves, radio waves, and visible light) have no impact on the atoms of living things (EPA). Radiation has been defined as energy which travels in the form of high-speed particles or waves and it naturally in the form of light energy from the sun. However, there are sources of manmade radiation including radiation used in nuclear power plants, X-rays, nuclear weapons, and other radiations employed to treat cancer. According to NLM, exposure to long-term exposure to even small amounts of radiation increases one’s risk of developing cancer. Also, long-term exposure to radiation has been found to cause gene mutation. Parents whose genes have been mutated can pass the genes to their children after exposure. Exposure to higher levels of radiation for a very short duration can cause radiation sickness or burns. However, exposure to large amounts of radiation has been associated with either premature ageing or even in some circumstances, death. All these various levels of exposure can happen to pregnant females, and the consequences are the same or even severe.
X-rays have been known to affect embryo/fetuses of pregnant women undergoing radiographic abdominal examinations. However, Committee on Radiology (117-118) pointed out that the probability of a birth defect arising from radiation exposure during the diagnostic examination is extremely so low that it can be compared to the rates of defects found in natural births. Despite this, the Committee suggested that the issue of pregnancy should be taken into account when requesting for x-ray examination of women who are at childbearing age. The objective of such requisition is not only to minimise hypothetical risk but also to uphold patient’s care at a maximum. Available evidence suggests that radiation can affect ovarian cells before the fertilisation of the embryo, and the embryo can be acted at any time after fertilisation has taken place. Some of the significant adverse effects include congenital malformations, cancer induction, leukaemia, growth retardation, and embryonic death/ resorption. Evidence also suggest there is no precise time to schedule irradiation because the number of embryos affected by radiation exposure is independent of the time irradiation took place. The Committee on Radiology suggest that scheduling is unnecessary when examining pregnant ladies. To them, the examination can be even counterproductive.
The concerns expressed by Committee on Radiology were further reviewed by Fattibene, Mazzei, Nuccetelli, and Risica (693-702). According to the authors, some of the most severe effects of ionising radiations are deterministic effects (such as organ malformations, intrauterine lethality (IU), and mental impairments) and stochastic effects (such as genetic anomalies, solid tumours, and leukaemia). Fattibene, Mazzei, Nuccetelli, and Risica (693-702) contend that the degree of impact has been found to be dependent on the gestational stage of the embryo/fetus at which exposure take place. Sources of exposure for pregnant women in the medical field include high-dose techniques such as interventional radiology and computer tomography (CT). Evidence collected from the Nagasaki, Hiroshima and Chernobyl nuclear events suggest that prenatal exposure is associated with increased cases of mental retardation, childhood cancer, and thyroid cancer. Although certain prenatal exposure of the fetus due to medical diagnostics poses no problems, some particular examinations result in alarming doses (700). These claims are supported by the investigations carried out by Hurwitz et al. (871-876). Hurwitz et al. found out that during pregnancy, radiological examinations of the renal colic, appendicitis, and pulmonary embolus so low that it cannot induce neurologic impacts to the fetus. However, radiological examination of the appendicitis doubles the risk of the fetus to develop childhood cancer. Fattibene, Mazzei, Nuccetelli, and Risica (693-702) pointed out that the data which has been previously relied on are obtained from countries with advanced health conditions. They, therefore, warned that the levels of exposure could be higher in other countries. They, therefore, advice suggest that medical staff and women in the childbearing age ought to be given correct information to avoid examination using ionising radiation which might not be necessary. Adequate information also helps in optimising diagnostic procedures, to choose low exposure or alternative techniques which are free of ionising radiation. In some cases, the authors pointed out that it might be necessary to delay diagnostic examination to a point when there is a low-risk gestation.
Radiation can be natural or manmade. Radiation is useful because it plays a great role in medical diagnostics. Both expectant and non-expectant individuals can undergo medical diagnostic involving radiation. This paper has focused on the impacts of radiation on pregnant females. Expectant women, like other people, are exposed to manmade radioactive sources in occupational, environmental, and medical fields. Not all exposure pose a lot of risks. However, long-term exposure to small doses increases risks of developing cancer. High doses for short and long periods of time are fatal. Radiation is capable of causing gene mutation, and the parents can pass the genes to their offspring.
Physicians, as well as the general members of the public, need to be well conversant on the impacts of ionising radiation on pregnant females. This can help in developing the appropriate attitude toward ionising radiation. This is especially necessary in cases of accidents or justification of a medical diagnostic procedure involving exposure to radiation. Besides physicians and the general public, the authorities in the health and environmental sector also need to be conversant with the effects of various types of radiation on pregnant females so that they can come up with policies and regulations that guide their use. Further, professionals and scholars also need to know more about the radiological impacts on pregnant females so that they can research more about it.
Works cited
Committee on Radiology. “Radiation of Pregnant Women.” Paediatrics, 61.1(1978): 117-118
Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). (2016). Radiation Basics. US EPA, 4 May 2016. Web. 26 June 2016.
Fattibene, P., et al. "Prenatal exposure to ionising radiation: sources, effects and regulatory aspects." Acta Paediatrica 88.7 (1999): 693-702.
Hurwitz, Lynne M., et al. "Radiation dose to the fetus from body MDCT during early gestation." American Journal of Roentgenology 186.3 (2006): 871-876.
National Library of Medicine, US (NLM). (2016). Radiation Exposure. Medline Plus, 12 August 2014. Web. 26 June 2016
