Answer to Question #11461 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"
Category: Pregnancy and Radiation — Exposures not directly to embryo/fetus
The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:
Q
I'm one month and 10 days pregnant. On the fourth day after my last ovulation, I went for a computed tomography (CT) brain scan. Is there any problem in continuing my pregnancy? How much risk does the CT scan pose to this pregnancy?
A
There is no risk in continuing your pregnancy. The radiation from a CT scan is in a very thin beam, and there is very little, if any, scattered radiation below the neck. There was no radiation exposure to your abdomen from this brain CT scan.
Kelly Classic
Certified Medical Health Physicist
Answer posted on 17 January 2016. The information posted on this web page is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may affect the applicability of concepts, materials, and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice. To the best of our knowledge, answers are correct at the time they are posted. Be advised that over time, requirements could change, new data could be made available, and Internet links could change, affecting the correctness of the answers. Answers are the professional opinions of the expert responding to each question; they do not necessarily represent the position of the Health Physics Society.