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Pre-conception radiation exposure from CT scans may increase risk of miscarriage and birth defects, finds study
Researchers analyzed over 5 million pregnancies and found that CT scans before conception increased miscarriage risk by up to 19% and birth defects by 15%, urging cautious imaging use.
- A major observational study involving over 5 million pregnancies in Ontario, Canada, examining the impact of CT scans prior to conception on pregnancy outcomes, was released on September 8, 2025, in a leading internal medicine journal.
- The study observed a slight rise in the likelihood of miscarriage and birth defects associated with having CT scans prior to pregnancy, but it did not establish that radiation from these scans directly caused any harm.
- Researchers observed that women undergoing CT scans often had underlying health issues, including conditions like high blood pressure, diabetes, or tobacco use, which independently increase the likelihood of complications during pregnancy and could influence the study’s findings.
- The data indicated that the rate of pregnancy loss was approximately 101 losses per 1,000 recognized pregnancies without any prior CT scans, increasing to about 117 losses per 1,000 pregnancies following a single CT scan, with even higher rates observed after multiple scans.
- Experts emphasized continued use of CT imaging when clinically necessary but urged preference for non-radiation alternatives like ultrasound or MRI in reproductive-age women to minimize risks.
16 Articles
16 Articles
A new study suggests that a CT could lead to a later miscarriage years before conception. Sounds dramatic – but above all, it's a warning.
A Canadian study shows a connection between CT examinations in childbearing women and later miscarriages and malformations in the child. A Tübingen expert draws clear conclusions from this.
Pre-conception radiation exposure from CT scans may increase risk of miscarriage and birth defects, finds study
A population-based cohort study evaluated the risk for spontaneous pregnancy loss and congenital anomalies in offspring of women exposed to computed tomography (CT) ionizing radiation before conception.
Pre-Pregnancy CT Scans Raise Risk of Miscarriage, Fetal Abnormalities
Women with exposure to computed tomography (CT) scans before getting pregnant are at increased risk for miscarriage and congenital abnormalities in their babies compared with women who have not had CT scans, with risk increasing with higher exposure. “CT imaging is an indispensable tool for disease diagnosis, prognosis, and surveillance, yet it remains a major source of ionizing radiation exposure in humans,” write lead author Camille Simard, MD…
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