US researchers have warned of the dangers of children being exposed to X-rays before the age of three months or before birth, as it may increase the risk of developing cancer.
This study, conducted by the National Cancer Institute in the United States, focused on examining the effect of using x-rays and ultrasound on 2,690 children with cancer and 4,858 healthy children who participated in a British study on childhood cancer.
It was found that the mothers of 305 of these children had undergone X-rays during pregnancy, and that there were 170 children who underwent a medical examination using X-rays in their early childhood.
It was proved that children whose mothers underwent X-rays during pregnancy had a slight increase in the risk of developing various types of childhood cancer and leukemia (blood cancer), and that children who underwent an X-ray examination at a young age recorded a non-significant increase in exposure to childhood cancer, leukemia and lymphomas.
The study issued a report indicating that there is no clear link between ultrasound and an increased risk of cancer, but it stressed the necessity of extreme caution against excessive use of radiation on the abdomen and pelvis for mothers during pregnancy or for newborn babies.
