Relationship of leukemia in children to abdominal irradiation of mothers during pregnancy

It is concluded that x-ray examination should continue to be performed during pregnancy in those cases in which clinical examination determines the need for it.

Abstract

1.The frequency of x-ray examination of the abdomen during pregnancy in the mothers of a group of children who died of leukemia is compared with the frequency of such examination in the mothers of a control group of children. 2.Among 77 mothers of children who died of leukemia, prenatal abdominal x-ray examination was carried out in 4, an incidence of 5.2 per cent. Among the 156 controls, abdominal x-ray examination was carried out in 11 , an incidence of 7.1 per cent. 3.These figures neither prove nor disprove a relation between x-ray examination of the abdomen during pregnancy and the subsequent development of leukemia in the child. 4.It is concluded that x-ray examination should continue to be performed during pregnancy in those cases in which clinical examination determines the need for it.