Question 1: What exactly is an X-ray? It is a kind of electromagnetic wave with a certain wavelength and frequency. x-ray’s wavelength is extremely short and its energy is very great, its wavelength is between ultraviolet rays and gamma rays, and the wavelength of x-ray used for diagnostic imaging is 0.008-0.031 nm. x-ray is absorbed by calcium-containing constituents of the body such as bone, water (blood, etc.), and soft tissues (muscles), and then weakened when penetrating the human body. X-ray film is an image of varying intensity that is taken in by the absorption of different substances. Question 2: What is the exposure dose of each type of X-ray examination and what are the risks to pregnant women? Usually, when a pregnant woman receives an X-ray examination, the fetus receives an X-ray dose of 0.07 roentgens (rad). It is generally believed that malformations are only likely to occur if the fetus absorbs an X-ray dose of 10 roentgens (rad) or more during the first four months of pregnancy. If a pregnant woman does need to have an X-ray examination after full assessment, it is recommended to wear lead shielding clothing for pregnant women to minimize radiation, especially to the abdomen. Question 3: What should I do if I have an X-ray during pregnancy? Do I need to have an abortion? The view of the International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) is that in cases where the absorbed dose to the fetus is less than 100 mGy (1 Gy = 100 roentgens), or 10 roentgens, a decision to terminate a pregnancy based on the risk of radiation is not justified. The vast majority of intrauterine exposure doses from X-ray examinations and their health risk levels are safe and rarely justify termination of pregnancy. When the intrauterine irradiated dose is in the range of 100-500 mGy (often a therapeutic dose, which is very rare) in the 8th-15th week of gestation, careful consideration should be given to the level of risk of malformations, developmental delay, central nervous system damage, and decreased IQ The above is a professional viewpoint, so let’s have a little layman’s interpretation. 1. X-ray radiation needs to be accrued up to a certain amount before it can cause teratogenicity, and a single X-ray examination does not reach the level of irradiation dose that can 2, foreign clinical studies have shown that early pregnancy (note: this refers specifically to the 4 weeks before pregnancy, that is, from the first day of the last menstrual period backward counting 28 days of time) received X-ray exposure, the baby’s stomach only two results: the first result is that the baby received all the adverse effects of natural abortion; the second result is that the baby is not adversely affected, natural and normal growth. 3, the pregnancy of X-ray radiation needs to accumulate a certain amount to be teratogenic, a single X-ray examination dose of exposure does not amount to the dose that can cause damage to the embryo or the fetus. The second result is that the baby is not adversely affected and grows normally.3. In the middle and late stages of pregnancy, it is often the therapeutic dose of X-ray irradiation that is likely to lead to fetal malformations, nevertheless, clinically, doctors are very cautious about X-ray examinations during this period, and try to minimize the number of unnecessary X-rays, but that does not mean that X-ray examinations can never be done during pregnancy, but only in order to minimize the likelihood of teratogenicity. How soon after the X-ray can I conceive a baby? If an X-ray is taken before the 4th week of pregnancy in the case of an unplanned pregnancy, and if the embryo is not aborted by spontaneous abortion, you can consider keeping the baby under the “all or nothing” theory. However, for couples who are planning to get pregnant or preparing for pregnancy, they can take a pregnancy test before taking the X-ray to make sure they are not pregnant. The International Commission on Radiological Protection (ICRP) suggests that there should be a period of time without X-ray exposure before pregnancy. To be on the safe side, the general recommendation is that pregnancy should be avoided for 3 months after X-rays are taken, including both men and women. However, please note that the 3-month period is only an empirical extrapolation without evidence-based medical evidence, and contradicts with some of the conclusions in this article, and is only intended to serve as a reference for parents preparing for pregnancy. Opinion.