Is the radiation from flying safe in pregnancy?
For an occasional traveller, yes: the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says the risk to the fetus from cosmic radiation is negligible for most air travellers. A New York to London round trip is about 57.5 µSv, and the FAA's guideline for a pregnant crewmember is no more than 0.5 mSv a month, which would take about 9 such round trips in one month.
Updated
Who should keep count
The same ACOG opinion notes that aircrew and frequent flyers may exceed the recommended limits, and that the FAA and the International Commission on Radiological Protection consider aircrew occupationally exposed and recommend they be told about the exposure and its risks. If you fly for work, or several long flights a month, a running total is worth having. If you fly a few times a year, the flights are a small part of the radiation you receive anyway: natural background in the United States averages about 3.1 mSv a year (NCRP Report No. 160).
The guideline, and how many flights reach it
For a pregnant crewmember the FAA recommends limiting the dose to the conceptus to no more than 0.5 mSv a month (AC 120-61B, 7c). For a standard flight at 35,000 ft, in the solar conditions of August 2026:
| Flight | Dose | Flights to reach 0.5 mSv |
|---|---|---|
| JFK → HKG New York to Hong Kong | 61.1 µSv | 8 |
| LHR → LAX London to Los Angeles | 48.7 µSv | 10 |
| SFO → SIN San Francisco to Singapore | 42.4 µSv | 12 |
| LAX → NRT Los Angeles to Narita | 35.2 µSv | 14 |
| ORD → LHR Chicago to London | 31.2 µSv | 16 |
| LHR → SIN London to Singapore | 30.8 µSv | 16 |
| JFK → CDG New York to Paris | 27.3 µSv | 18 |
| JFK → LHR New York to London | 26.5 µSv | 19 |
| JFK → SFO New York to San Francisco | 21.9 µSv | 23 |
| JFK → LAX New York to Los Angeles | 20.2 µSv | 25 |
| SFO → JFK San Francisco to New York | 18.5 µSv | 27 |
| SYD → SIN Sydney to Singapore | 15.9 µSv | 31 |
| LAX → ATL Los Angeles to Atlanta | 12 µSv | 42 |
| HNL → LAX Honolulu, Oahu to Los Angeles | 10.5 µSv | 48 |
| MIA → JFK Miami to New York | 6.94 µSv | 72 |
| LAX → SFO Los Angeles to San Francisco | 1.89 µSv | 265 |
The FAA's figure is a dose to the conceptus; the doses here are effective dose (ICRP Publication 103), a related but different quantity, so read the comparison as a rough guide. A solar radiation storm, which is rare, can add to the dose on high-latitude routes.
Lowering it, if you want to
The dose depends on hours in the air, altitude and how far from the equator you fly. Fewer and shorter flights, and routes that stay at lower latitudes, mean less. Compare routes, or see what drives the number.
This page is general information, not medical advice. Take questions about radiation and your pregnancy to your physician, and bring them a real number.
Sources
- American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists. Committee Opinion No. 746: Air Travel During Pregnancy. Obstet Gynecol 2018;132:e64–6.
- Federal Aviation Administration. Advisory Circular AC 120-61B, In-Flight Radiation Exposure, 2014.
- National Council on Radiation Protection and Measurements. NCRP Report No. 160, 2009.
Keep a running total
FlightDose logs every flight with its CARI-7 dose and tracks your total, month by month, against the public limit and a personal ceiling you set.
FlightDose calculates your exact flight.
Free to download on iOS and Android. In-app purchases available.