On Sun, 20 May 2001, John D. Giorgis wrote:
> At 11:29 PM 5/19/01 -0500 Dan Minette wrote:
> >I meant to include some stuff on radiation exposure and limits. BTW, I have
> >a quote on acceptable limits for a fetus
>
> I could say something here to appropriately highlight the profound
> irony of this discussion..... but I think that I've said enough
> already.
I don't understand something here.
The way I read it was, they've set standards for what's an acceptable
amount of radiation for a fetus to get, and if you're worried about your
fetus getting too much radiation, look at all the various sources you're
getting radiation from and see what you can minimize.
I mean, I figure my embryo (I don't think it was old enough to be
classified as a "fetus" at that point) got something less than the dose of
a cross-country airline flight with the round trip from Austin to BWI in
September.
My fetus didn't get any radiation from my getting a dental x-ray in
January because when the dental tech said they wanted to take a few films
of my teeth, I said, "By the way, I'm pregnant," and she said, "I guess we
won't be taking any x-rays today!" (When I saw the actual dentist, he
congratulated me, which was nice.) There may have been a little radiation
at the dentist's office due to other x-rays, I don't know, but it would
have been minimal, I think.
Knowing what reasonably acceptable limits for fetal exposure are, and my
minimizing the exposures that I have control over, and knowing that the
ones I don't have control over (such as sharing a bed) aren't going to be
enough to be harmful puts my mind a little more at ease.
(Which is good, because my body is taking some abuse, significantly
uncomfortable portions of it in the digestive system. I'm ready any time
for this fetus to graduate to being an infant.)
Julia
