Abdominopelvic computed tomography during pregnancy and the risk of congenital malformations: protocol for a nationwide population-based cohort study in South Korea.

Abstract

The use of CT has increased markedly over recent decades, and this trend is also observed among pregnant women. According to current clinical guidelines, fetal radiation exposure below a threshold of 100 to 200 mGy does not appear to increase the risk of congenital malformations. Although the estimated fetal dose from a maternal abdominopelvic CT examination is generally lower than this range, evidence regarding the risks associated with such relatively low-dose diagnostic exposures during pregn