   
| | | | | | | | Pregnancy & Birth | Nutrition, Fitness, and Lifestyle | | BACK TO: Nutrition, Fitness, and Lifestyle | 
|  PREVIOUS MESSAGE | NEXT MESSAGE  | | | | | AUTHOR: | floater | DATE: 03/26/03 4:00am | | SUBJECT: |  Re: ANY PREGNANT PILOTS OUT THERE? | | IN REPLY TO: Re: ANY PREGNANT PILOTS OUT THERE?
AUTHOR: sky2fly | | | Second part:
Most physicians are unaware of this hazard and typically and erroneously advise a pregnant woman concerned about flying that its O.K. to do so.The hotline that AA Medical has set up was established in part to dispel any misinformation that a crewmembers obstetrician may have on this issue.This will hopefully ensure that a womans decision as to whether or not to continue to fly during her pregnancy is based on sound information considering her flying schedule, routes, and other information pertinent to her unique situation.For most air crewmembers at AA,immediate medical leave is the most prudent course of action for the health of her unborn child.To provide more background on just why radiation is so detrimental to a fetus, it may help to recall that the reason that radiation is effective in treating cancer patients is because cancer cells are rapidly dividing cells.All rapidly dividing cells are sensitive to radiation and are much more easily destroyed by radiation than more slowly dividing cells are.Since a fetus whole body consists of rapidly growing, rapidly dividing cells, a given dose of radiation will kill-off a much higher percentage of cells in a fetus than in an adults body of more slowly dividing cells.If enough radiation exposure is received early in pregnancy, this could even cause sufficient damage to the embryo to result in a miscarriage, possibly even before the pregnancy was known.Fertility problems in flight attendants have already been identified, with radiation exposure mentioned as one of several likely causes.Radiation exposure to the fetus is the most critical in the first trimester of a pregnancy when the major organs of the childs body are forming.Indeed,it has been documented that a high dose of radiation received between the eighth and fifteenth weeks of gestation when the brain is forming has resulted in cases of mental retardation in the child.The amounts involved to cause this effect are many times higher than the doses that could normally be expected to be encountered by an air crewmember, but it does raise the question as to what less obvious degradation in development a child may incur from the lower levels more likely to be received at jet cruising altitudes.It has also been shown that early exposure to radiation, whether it be as a fetus or an infant slightly increases the childs normal likelihood of developing cancer at some point in his or her life by 0.1% per 10 mSv of exposure.10 mSv is on the high side of what is a likely dose for a fetus to receive during gestational exposure from the activities of its aircrew mother, but is not out of the question when considering solar flares.Developmental detriments to the unborn child is probably the greater of the risks.
Your union is continuing to work on getting the issue of aircrew radiation exposure properly addressed.We are not the first to try to get this issue to receive the attention it rightfully deserves but there are many obstacles to overcome in doing so.Your support of this issue is vital to our success.Voice your concerns to your Chief Pilot and encourage your fellow crewmembers to do the same.Feel free to direct any questions you may have on the issue of aircrew radiation exposure to Captain Joyce May at joycemay@gateway.net or to (212)459-2107. | |  | |
| | | | | | MESSAGES | | | | | CHICKSFLY | | 12/25/02 08:57am | | | | lizzieM | | 02/06/03 01:20pm | | | | sky2fly | | 02/27/03 02:03pm | | | | floater | | 03/26/03 03:58am | | | | floater | | 03/26/03 04:00am | | | | sghale | | 04/21/03 10:04pm | |  PREVIOUS DISCUSSION | NEXT DISCUSSION  |
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