Radiation and Pregnancy

General Special attention must be paid to the pregnant, potentially pregnant, or breast‐feeding patient. The developing embryo or fetus is particularly sensitive to radiation. If an examination that involves radiation exposure can be postponed or replaced with another study, this is always desirable. If the study is needed, precautions to eliminate or reduce the dose to the embryo/fetus should be followed. Women of childbearing years should be given a pregnancy test before any therapeutic study involving radiation. Breast‐feeding patients are of concern in nuclear medicine studies (diagnostic or therapeutic) because the compounds given to the mother may be taken up and excreted into the breast milk, and possibly ingested by a nursing infant.