Radiation exposure in pregnancy: outcomes, perceptions and teratological counseling in Turkish women

BACKGROUND: Fetal effects of radiation are associated with the gestational week of exposure, dose, and duration of exposure, but the perception of risk of radiation in expecting mothers is greater than the actual risk of physical effects. OBJECTIVES: Evaluate the overestimation of the teratogenic risk in women exposed to radiation and the role of teratological counseling in minimizing preconceptions. DESIGN: Analytical, cross-sectional. SETTING: Tertiary care center, genetic diseases diagnosis center. PATIENTS AND METHODS: Out of 10 784 people who applied for teratological consultation between 2009 and 2018, pregnant women meeting inclusion criteria and exposed to radiation were selected as the study group; pregnant women without radiation exposure were selected as the control group. Two subgroups of the study group based on the week and dose of exposure were also analyzed. MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES: Abortion rate, termination recommendation rates before and after teratological counseling. SAMPLE SIZE:: 461 pregnant exposed to radiation; 213 pregnant women without radiation exposure. RESULTS: Preterm birth and termination rates differed significantly between cases and controls (P=.038, P=.019, respectively). Termination recommendation at the first examination was more frequent for both the week of exposure overall and dose subgroups comparing cases and controls (P<.001). In the comparison of subgroups by week of exposure, only the miscarriage rate was statistically significant (P=.007). After teratological counseling termination decision rates were significantly decreased (P<.001). CONCLUSION: Subjective perceptions about the risks of radiation may lead to the termination of an otherwise wanted pregnancy. Teratological counseling is crucial for the prevention of termination of pregnancy, clarifying misinformation, and minimizing anxiety. LIMITATIONS: With the exception of measurable values as calculated doses of radiation, the conclusions are mostly derived from medical records and subjective responses of pregnant women. The termination rates in our study probably do not reflect the whole population. CONFLICT OF INTEREST: None.