American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists Sets New Guidelines for Pregnant Women Traveling by Air

Wash. Post: Should Pregnant Women Fly?, by Rob Stein:

Is it safe for a pregnant woman to travel by air? According to some new guidelines from the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) the answer is yes--with a few caveats.

This week, the group released the first update of its guidelines on air travel for pregnant women since 2001, and for the first time addresses concerns about exposure to cosmic radiation during flights.

According to the guidelines, the longest intercontinental flights will expose passengers to no more than 15 percent of the recommended limit of cosmic radiation exposure set by the National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements and the International Commission on Radiological Protection. While women who work as part of flight crews or are frequent fliers may exceed the recommended exposure limit, that would not be the case for most women, the group concludes. . . .