Fluorography is a special method for the diagnosis of various diseases of the chest, lungs and skeletal system.
Modern nursing mothers are often afraid of this procedure, since they believe that its radiation can harm the baby.
Let us consider in more detail what the doctors think about this, whether fluorography is really harmful to the child, and who should not do it.
Can lactation do fluorography: a doctor’s opinion
The main reason for the woman's fears in fluorography is actually not significant. Most likely - this is just a fear of the unknown and misunderstanding of the essence of the procedure.
Modern fluorography does no harm to a nursing woman, as her radiation level is much lower than it was before. According to studies, during fluorography, the average irradiation level is 0.04 m3v. This is 37 times less than the permissible norm for such diagnostic studies. Thus, there is no and cannot be danger or any harm from such a diagnostic method for a nursing woman.
Another, and no less serious problem is the purely psychological perception of the possible risks of the procedure. A lactating woman can get very excited, experience stress, and her body will develop a whole dose of adrenaline, which, by the way, can really negatively affect the baby's condition. For this reason, immediately after fluorography, nursing mothers are advised to express breast milk and not give it to the baby.
Some doctors advise not to give breast milk to the baby for two days after fluorography, but to a greater extent, this is done for prevention, but not to protect the baby.
In addition, it is important to know that today there are two different types of fluorography that have different degrees of exposure. In film fluorography, the image of the chest is photographed using a special matrix. This procedure is done quickly enough, however, more radiation enters the body.
With the digital fluorography technique, the patient’s chest is scanned with a special “fan-shaped” X-ray method. The procedure takes a little longer, but in this case the woman will receive a minimal dose of radiation.
Like any diagnostic procedure, fluorography is aimed at timely diagnosis of the disease. As a result of this, it is not recommended to postpone it for a long time, since being healthy for a young mother is always a priority.
Can lactation do fluorography: why is it harmless?
Scientists have found that with fluorography, radiation can affect only the woman’s body, but not her milk.
If necessary, fluorography can be done nursing even several times a year, since its dose of radiation will not cause any negative consequences for the health of the child and mother.
In addition, if a woman is still afraid for her condition, then the attending physician can direct her to do a simple x-ray of the lungs, and not completely fluorography. This procedure is also effective for monitoring the condition. With this examination, the radiation dose should be reduced to a minimum.
Who should not do fluorography and why
First of all, fluorography is contraindicated for carrying out during pregnancy, especially in the first weeks of its course. This is justified by the fact that in such a period, the cells of the embryo (future baby) rapidly divide. Because of this, they are completely not protected from the influence of external factors, in particular radiation. Even minimal exposure in the future can negatively affect the development or general condition of the child.
With obvious indications (suspected tuberculosis or contact with a sick person), even during pregnancy, a woman undergoes fluorography. For this, it is important to apply special precautions: a special lead apron is placed on the pregnant woman’s stomach, which will cover the baby from radiation.
If fluorography was performed in the first weeks of pregnancy (and the woman did not know about her condition), then it should be interrupted, since the embryo has already received a dose of radiation. To prevent this from happening, doctors advise to do fluorography during menstruation in order to accurately exclude the possibility of pregnancy.
For children under the age of 15, this procedure is also not performed. This is due to radiation safety standards. Instead, an X-ray may be taken if necessary.
Also, fluorography is not done to people who have chronic specific diseases. This procedure can only be prescribed with the agreement of the attending physician.
In addition, it is also not advisable for lactating women to do fluorography, since this can cause them severe stress, which will lead to the loss of milk. However, the period of breastfeeding is not considered a direct contraindication to this procedure.
It is important to know that if a nursing woman does not want to do fluorography, then she may refuse.
Doctors have no right to force lactating women to do fluorography against their will.
