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Are Airport Security Scanners Harmful to Pregnant Women?

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Prapti Chauhan
Are Airport Security Scanners Harmful to Pregnant Women?

It’s not wrong to travel during pregnancy. Travelling either by car or by flight will keep you and your cuddly little one inside you pepped up. You can certainly enjoy a long drive. To add to the enjoyment, you can also fly. But, if you are flying, you need to consider one thing – whether the airport security scanners are harmful to you during your pregnancy.


What are Airport Security Scanners and their types?


These are mainly screening gadgets that can detect any threatful objects like explosives, weapons, or any other sharp objects (knives) from the body or clothes of passengers who are about to board the flight. However, there are certain things you need to undergo before you get yourself scanned while you are expecting your baby inside you. Those activities are as follows:


  • You need to remove your personal belongings like i – cards, wallets, tissue papers, cell phones, etc, and keep them separately on a tray before scanning them
  • Keep the boarding pass separate
  • Keep all the other accessories for instance shawls, shoes, jackets, shawls, or other metal items away on a tray to be scanned. 
  • Now step into the scanner 
  • Stand with both your hands high. Your hands should be above the level of your head. Stand in this position for at least 2 to 3 seconds till the machine captures your image.  
  • There is another type of scanning procedure in the airport, known as physical pat-down search. In this method, a female security officer will take her hand throughout her body, along with her chest as well as her stomach.
  • The last type of scanner is the backscatter scanner. In this scanner, you need to stand with your arms raised between two large boxes. This scanner scans every hidden object from under the clothes to the surface of the skin.


Once all the above is done, the officer near the screening machine will check the images to see whether you are carrying any dangerous item or not. After clearing the scan, you can collect all the things that you have removed.


Are airport scanners harmful during pregnancy?  


Be it a backscatter scanner or physical pat-down; you can be safe under a scanner during pregnancy. How? In this way: 


  • The backscatter scanner: Their electromagnetic waves may be of low – frequency and that can do no harm to the baby cuddled up inside you. The scanner will scan your clothes, not your skin.  
  • The millimetre–wave scanners: Also, millimetre-wave scanners do not penetrate your skin surface since they reflect away from it. These waves do not harm you or your unborn baby’s health.  


Adding on to this, Radiation Protection Standard sets a maximum level of exposure for pregnant women and children. 


What are the ways to fly comfortably during pregnancy?


However, it is essential that you take permission from your healthcare specialist before you start flying while you are expecting your baby. As the healthcare professional will give you some tips and advice based on your pregnancy health condition. The tips are as follows:


  • In the early stage of your pregnancy, you might experience morning sickness. Before the problem is aggravated, ensure that you carry a small bag to throw up in it
  • If you are somehow flying for long hours, try to get up from the seat and try to pace up and down the aisle
  • Take small sips of water at regular intervals and stay hydrated
  • Take the middle seat if possible 
  • You can also take a seat by side of the aisle to get some extra space for your legs
  • Take all the essential medicines, medical history as well as cord blood banking kit
  • Take a comfy pillow, as well as dry fruits for your hunger pangs.


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Prapti Chauhan
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