A September 2025 publication in the Annals of Internal Medicine described pregnancy outcomes in women who had previously undergone CT scans. The researchers tracked spontaneous pregnancy loss and congenital anomalies in women who had 0, 1, 2, or 3+ CT scans. They found that the more scans a woman had, the higher likelihood of one of these issues with pregnancies.

    The overall rates were fairly low in all groups. No one should assume that a CT scan guarantees future problems with pregnancies. The most likely outcome is a good outcome.

    The researchers excluded patients with conditions that make pregnancy more difficult or CT scans more commonly ordered, such as a history of cancer or a history of clotting disorders. Nonetheless, whatever issue caused a CT scan to be ordered might also affect pregnancy outcomes. The study results show correlation, but causation is not proven.

    However, this study is one more reason to wonder about the long-term consequences of CT scans, and to minimize their use.