Pregnancy and Radiation

Pregnancy and Occupational Radiation Exposure

A pregnant employee exposed to radiation has the option to declare the pregnancy. While this decision is voluntary, the Office of Radiation Safety strongly encourages occupationally exposed employees to declare. 

The declaration must be done in writing using the form below. If the pregnancy is declared, there is a radiation dose limit of 500 mrem to the fetus during the pregnancy. 

Before declaring your pregnancy, please review the information provided in the NRC Regulatory guides listed below. These guides will give you information about the risks to the fetus from radiation exposure during pregnancy.

• NRC Regulatory Guide 8.13
• NRC Regulatory Guide 8.29

A Pregnancy Declaration form is provided below along with a questionnaire. Your answers to this questionnaire will allow ORS to determine if your job duties may need to be adjusted to ensure that the dose limit of 500 mrem is not exceeded. If you decide to declare your pregnancy, please return the completed Declaration and Questionnaire to the Office of Radiation Safety.

• Declaration of Pregnancy Form
• Questionnaire

You may be issued a dosimeter to be worn at the waist which will measure the embryo/fetal dose. If you wear a leaded apron, this dosimeter should be worn underneath the apron.

You have the right to retract your pregnancy declaration at any time.

Some other helpful sources on radiation exposure and pregnancy are listed below:

• Health Physics Society: “Ask the Experts” http://hps.org/publicinformation/ate/cat4.html
• Centers for Disease Control and Prevention: “Possible Health Effects of Radiation Exposure on Unborn Babies”

If you have any questions about radiation exposure during pregnancy or the declaration process, please contact the Office of Radiation Safety at (909) 651-4003 or extension 14003.