Prenatal x ray exposure, cosmic radiation and unwarranted pregnancy terminations

The aim of this paper is to set the record straight by summarizing the information accumulated to date and comparing the amount of radiation to which the embryo-foetus is exposed from X rays with that form cosmic and other natural sources of radiation. Possible embryonic-foetal damage due to irradiation may be classified into two principal types. The first is teratogenesis, or the creation of birth defects; this may occur when exposure to radiation takes place in the first 12 weeks of pregnancy, when the embryo is in the stage of organogenesis. The second type is carcinogenesis, or malignancy producing effects; this is liable to occur when exposure to radiation takes place in the second and third trimesters of pregnancy and is manifested in the first decade of the child's life. 4 refs, 1 tab