Patient's question:
I, female, 30 years old, had my last menstrual period on November 28, 2005. On December 3, I had a chest X-ray for a physical examination. I conceived around December 10. On December 30, I experienced mild bleeding and abdominal pain.On January 4, 2006, a urine HCG test was positive. On January 7, an ultrasound was performed, showing a uterus size of 615451, a gestational sac of 95mm, and no visible embryo. Since then, there has been no bleeding, but occasionally I have mild abdominal discomfort.
Is my condition normal?
Doctor's answer:
X-rays are a type of electromagnetic wave with a very short wavelength and strong penetration ability. For pregnant women, excessive exposure to X-rays can lead to severe fetal deformities, miscarriage, and intrauterine fetal death in the early stages of pregnancy. According to reports, after the atomic bombings of Hiroshima and Nagasaki in Japan, approximately 28% of surviving pregnant women experienced miscarriage. Among the infants born, 25% had deformities, with the majority occurring in the nervous system, such as microcephaly, microphthalmia, and intellectual disability. If radiation causes genetic mutations in germ cells, the deformities may only manifest after several generations.