How Can X-rays Affect the Unborn Child?
An unborn child is more sensitive to the affects of radiation exposure due to the rapidly dividing cells that naturally occur during development. As the cells of the embryo are rapidly dividing and growing into specialized cells and tissues, radiation can cause changes in these cells, which could slightly increase the chance of birth defect or certain illnesses, like leukemia, later in life. There is scientific disagreement about whether the small amounts of radiation used in diagnostic radiology can actually harm the unborn child, but it is always better to err on the side of caution.
