Radioactivity is no longer a strange issue preceding the recent occurrence of natural disasters, earthquake and Tsunami that attacked Japan and induced the hazardous nuclear crisis involving radiation leak. Radioactivity is a spontaneous decay and transformation of unstable atomic nuclei accompanied with the emission of nuclear particles and/or electromagnetic radiation. 3 major types of natural radioactivity are X-ray radiation, Beta radiation and Gama radiation. Sources of radiation are very wide and may be very hazardous to health without proper control. According to the Nuclear Regulatory Commission, a declared pregnant woman is who has voluntarily informed her employer in writing of her pregnancy and the estimated date of conception. Pregnancy is indeed a good time to save a child from radiation exposure.
RADIATION EFFECT ON PREGNANT WOMEN’S HEALTH
Women of reproductive age are at significant risk from the effects of radiation on their bodies and reproductive systems. The health consequences can be severe, even at radiation doses too low to make the mother sick. Since the baby is partially protected in the womb from radioactive sources outside the mother's body. Consequently, the radiation dose to the fetus is lower than the dose from which the mother has the most radiation exposure events. During the 18- to 25-week stage of pregnancy, health consequences similar to those seen in the 8- to 17-week stage could occur, but when the doses are extremely large causes the mother to show signs of acute radiation syndrome, which is sometimes known as radiation sickness.
Despite the fact of cancer during pregnancy is rare, occurring in approximately one out of every 1,000 pregnancies, nevertheless, a pregnant woman with cancer is capable of giving birth to a healthy baby as cancer rarely affects the fetus directly. In addition, age is the most significant risk factor for cancer, the rate of cancer during pregnancy may be increasing as more women are waiting until they are older to have children. Pregnancy causes many hormone changes in the body. During their pregnancy, the monthly menstrual cycles stops and shifts the hormone balance toward progesterone rather than estrogen. Herein, women who go through a pregnancy while they are young may have a slightly lower risk of breast cancer later on. Women who have had no children or who had their first pregnancy after age 30 have a slightly higher breast cancer risk later in life.
Being pregnant often delays a cancer diagnosis because some cancer symptoms such as abdominal bloating, frequent headaches, or rectal bleeding are common during pregnancy and are not considered suspicious. However, breast cancer is the most common cancer in pregnant women, affecting approximately one in 3,000 pregnancies.
Being pregnant often delays a cancer diagnosis because some cancer symptoms such as abdominal bloating, frequent headaches, or rectal bleeding are common during pregnancy and are not considered suspicious. However, breast cancer is the most common cancer in pregnant women, affecting approximately one in 3,000 pregnancies.
Pregnancy-related breast enlargement may consider difficult to detect small breast tumors. If cancer is suspected during pregnancy, their doctors may subject the women in which the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists states a single x-ray test does not harm the fetus as simple x-ray tests use very low doses of radiation. Other diagnostic tests involved are magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), ultrasound, and biopsy which are also considered to be safe during pregnancy because they do not use ionizing radiation.
Radioactive elements or particles such as Uranium are toxic even when they are not radioactive and also the same for many other heavy metals. A research suggests that the more heavy metal toxicity a person has (very common nowadays), the more likely that person is to absorb and retain radioactive nuclides. Heavy metals such as lead and mercury have been shown to interfere with the endocrine system and this might explain why exposed women present menstrual disorders and delayed conception rates.
RADIATION AND HEALTH EFFECTS ON BABIES
RADIATION AND HEALTH EFFECTS ON BABIES
Prenatal radiation exposure is the exposure of a fetus to radiation. This radiation is usually occurs when the mother’s abdominal is exposed to radiation from outside. Apart from this, accidental incidents also do affect the fetus when the mum accidentally swallows or breath in radioactive materials which may get absorbed into bloodstream. Once the radioactive material get absorbed into the bloodstream then it will travel via the umbilical cord to the baby and cause it to be exposed to radiation.
The amount of radiation the fetus exposed to and the gestational age of the fetus at that time influences the health effects which is long-term. This long-term health effects are known as stochastic health effects. As an example, when the fetus is exposed to less than 5 rad at a time, the percentage of lifetime cancer risk is lower then 2 %. Previous studies done proofs that babies whom receive radiation lower than 5 rad are not in the danger of birth defects. The amount of radiation more than 20 rad can cause miscarriage (Robert Brent, 2011). The most sensitive period to radiation is during the early stages of pregnancy which is in between 2 and 18 week of pregnancy. This situation is due to the embryo, which is only made with few cells. This can cause the embryo to die before the pregnancy is being confirmed.
Radiation effects can be very severe although the amount is very low as in it can cause the mother fall sick. This effect will cause further effects on the fetus as in the fetus growth can be stunted, deformities, abnormal brain function or cancer in later stages of life. The fully developed baby at the 26th week of pregnancy is at a stage where it is no more sensitive to the radiation effects.
LESSON LEARNT ABOUT RADIACTIVITY
Lots of expected mothers are worried about the radiation risks exposed to their unborn babies when they have to do x-rays or use any radiography. Yes, it is good to worry as a responsible and caring mother, but in some cases not getting an x-ray can harm the mother more than it can harm the baby.
According to the American Academy of Family Physicians and most articles revel that radiation exposed to a developing fetus is quite small and has fewer risks. The accepted cumulative dose of ionizing radiation during pregnancy is 5 rad while more than 10 rad has shown to increase the risks of learning disabilities and eye abnormalities. This is very rare as not a single diagnostic study exceeds 5 rad. Therefore x-rays are generally safe during pregnancy but advisable to be only done when the benefits outweigh the risks.
Estimated fetal exposure for various diagnostic imaging methods indicates that the amount of exposure to the fetus from a two-view chest x-ray of the mother is only 0.00007 rad. The most sensitive time period for central nervous system teratogenesis is between 10 and 17 weeks of gestation. Nonurgent radiologic testing should be avoided during this time.
Ultrasounds also called sonography that can be considered instead of an X-ray. Ultrasound has never been reported to cause any harm to an unborn baby orexpected mother. It is usually used during pregnancy scans to monitor the development of the baby, check physical abnormalities and check the position of the placenta, which provides vital nutrients and oxygen-rich blood for the baby.Magnetic resonance imaging (often called MRI) also is safe to be used after the first trimester of pregnancy. Although ultrasound and MRI are used if possible, sometimes an X-ray is the doctor's best or only choice.
Ultrasound scanning doesn't pose the same dangers to human and fetal health as ionizing radiation, it is a mistake to think that ultrasound is entirely safe for a baby growing in your womb.
Ultrasound scanning works by sending sound waves into your tissues. As these sound waves bounce off of your tissues, a picture is created.
These sound waves are capable of producing the following physiological effects:
- Increase in blood flow and temperature in local tissues
- Production of gas bubbles that can put pressure on local tissues
- Mechanical effects like movement of the fluid that surrounds your cells, which can also put pressure on local tissues
The conventional view on ultrasound scanning during pregnancy is that the intensity and duration of sound waves that are used for scanning are not enough to produce these physiological effects at a level that is harmful to a fetus. Radioactivity can be very dangerous to both the mother and the unborn baby depending on the type and amount of radiation exposed to both of them, therefore care should be taken to account.
CONCLUSION
Decision making should be done solely by pregnant mothers concerning on the necessity for radiography. Again it is important for pregnant mothers to be concern about the radiation exposure to their unborn babies by consulting with physicians. Due to some good views on the necessity of radiography pregnant mothers should have reasonable assurance that the radiation dose can be kept below 1 mGy during the pregnancy. Fetal radiation dose should be estimated by qualified medical personnel to provide a more detailed approximation of risks to the fetus.
