Effects of prenatal irradiation on mammalian development: animal studies

Intrauterine development of mammals is highly sensitive to the injurious effects of ionizing radiations. The main bulk of information on the prenatal effects of radiation come from studies on rodents. A number of effects like prenatal and postnatal mortality, stunting of growth, severe organ malformations and functional disorders in adult, have been reported. The type of effect and its severity will depend on the gestational age at exposure and the dose of radiation. The literature on the important experimental findings of the developmental effects of in utero irradiation is reviewed. (author)