Baby Your Baby: Diagnostic imaging during pregnancy and breastfeeding

KUTV — It is common for pregnant and breastfeeding individuals to need diagnostic imaging. Women who are pregnant or breastfeeding may hear conflicting information about those imaging processes and some of the medications that are used during imaging. A key thing to remember is that there is often little risk from these procedures but greater risks from not treating conditions during pregnancy and breastfeeding. Untreated heart conditions, broken bones, and cancers can cause problems for moms during pregnancy that could affect baby.

On one end of the spectrum, there are those common diagnostic procedures. During the nine months of pregnancy, individuals will likely have dental x-rays as part of their usual visits every six months. Diagnostic x-rays are low dose and do not cause any increased risk during pregnancy or breastfeeding. Sometimes pregnant and breastfeeding individuals may need a CT scan or MRI due to accidents or other medical conditions. Most pregnancies will have ultrasound imaging. Those CT scans, MRIs, and ultrasound imaging do not cause any increased risks.

Sometimes local anesthetics or general anesthesia need to be used during diagnostic procedures. Most of those anesthesia or sedation medications also have no increased risks for use in pregnancy and lactation.

Sometimes contrast media are used during those diagnostic procedures. Some of those contrast media are not a problem in pregnancy and breastfeeding since they may not last long or they may not get into the breastmilk in significant amounts.

On the other end of the spectrum, radioactive contrast media are rarely used and then the specifics of the medication and situation will need to be considered. Sometimes breastfeeding moms may need to stop breastfeeding for hours, days, or weeks depending on the specific contrast media.

Moms and their providers can contact MotherToBaby.utah.gov for more information about those medications.