X-rays during pregnancy: Can they harm my baby?

I discovered I was two months pregnant after having extensive X-rays following a hip fracture. What is the potential risk to my baby?

- No name / No state given

Mayo Clinic obstetrician and gynecologist Roger Harms, M.D., and colleagues answer select questions from readers.

Answer

Although X-rays during pregnancy have the potential to cause significant problems, the risk is very well understood and diagnostic X-rays generally do not significantly increase the risk to your baby. Indeed, certain medical problems that occur during pregnancy may require X-rays. In your case, the X-rays were necessary to provide you with the best care for your hip fracture, and it's in your baby's best interest for you to be healthy.

X-ray images require very small amounts of radiation. So the risk to your unborn baby is very low — even if you received multiple X-rays. If you're really worried about it, talk to your doctor. It is possible to calculate the estimated amount of radiation your baby was exposed to. It may ease your mind to know "for sure" that the amount of radiation your baby received was well within a safe range.