Radiation protection of women and children of childbearing age

Medical experts say that children are at high risk of radiation injury. Radiological examination such as chest X-ray and CT will damage some body cells and produce radiation effect. If children receive more X-rays in a short time, the harm will gradually accumulate, causing irreparable damage to body cells, and the probability of inducing cancer diseases will greatly increase in the future.

There are historical reasons for primary and secondary school students to take chest radiographs before physical examination: BCG vaccination was not popular at birth in China before, and chest radiographs were mainly taken to check whether children had congenital heart disease and tuberculosis. With the popularization of BCG vaccination for newborns in China to prevent tuberculosis infection, the incidence of tuberculosis has been greatly reduced, and it is no longer an "incurable disease" as mentioned in the past. Therefore, it is entirely possible for children to cancel chest X-rays in routine physical examination.

At the same time, pregnant women are also key protection targets. The Regulations on the Management of Radiological Diagnosis and Treatment clearly requires that women of childbearing age who are 8- 15 weeks after pregnancy should not have lower abdominal radiation examination, and chest X-ray photography should be used instead of chest fluoroscopy. Before radionuclide imaging or X-ray examination of the abdomen or pelvis of women of childbearing age, ask whether they are pregnant.