A recent study investigated a possible connection between gadolinium contrast agents used in MRIs with pregnancy and birth problems. This may increase existing concern over gadolinium MRI problems — that gadolinium contrast agents could affect the patients having the MRI.

Gadolinium is a heavy metal and is sometimes used as a contrast agent in MRIs. When a patient has an MRI, sometimes gadolinium-based dye is injected into their veins so that their organs can be more easily viewed in the MRI images. It was long thought that after the gadolinium was injected, the body would naturally flush it out in gadolinium detoxification.

However, some research into gadolinium MRI issues published in the journal Radiology suggests that the body may not flush out the gadolinium as readily as experts thought.

Some patients have claimed that the gadolinium that they were injected with was not flushed out of their body in a few hours, as they were told, but in fact, stayed in their body for years. These patients claim that they developed a range of severe side effects from gadolinium.

The FDA has said that gadolinium poisoning can cause a rare but serious condition called nephrogenic systemic fibrosis (NSF), says Health Day.

Gadolinium side effects reportedly include:

• Pain and burning sensation in the arms, legs, and torso
• Cognitive difficulties or “brain fog”
• Headaches
• Memory impairment
• Bone and joint pain
• Spongy or rubbery skin
• Thickened and painful ligaments
• Tightness in the hands and feet
• Others

Recently, some gadolinium MRI lawsuits have been filed against the makers of gadolinium contrast agents, claiming that the company put customers’ health at risk. One such contrast dye lawsuit was filed by Chuck Norris’s wife, Gena O’Kelly.  

Now, experts worry that these symptoms may also affect a fetus if the mother was injected with a gadolinium contrast agent while pregnant. Some of these potential issues are similar to those allegedly experienced by adults who had a gadolinium contrast agent applied, including skin conditions.  

Unfortunately, recent research suggests that the possible effects of gadolinium contrast agent exposure may include death. This may come in the form of neonatal death or a stillborn birth, says Medical Dialogues.

Medical Dialogues goes on to note that use of gadolinium contrast agent use is not recommended during pregnancy. The publication goes on to explain that more problems were identified with higher rates of gadolinium contrast agent exposure during the first few weeks of pregnancy rather than the later ones, “suggesting adverting exposure to [gadolinium contrast agents] might occur before pregnancy is recognized,” according to the authors of the study.

This may be a problem that affects many patients — Medical Dialogues says that gadolinium contrast agents are now being used in 30 to 45 percent of MRIs in the United States.

According to some research, gadolinium contrast agents are reportedly posing problems when they remain in the body for too long. Experts say that gadolinium is coated in another agent when it is used as a contrast agent. This other substance may prevent it from entering the system and allows it to be flushed out.

However, some people claim that some drug companies choose a method of production that does not allow the gadolinium to be coated fully in the non-toxic substance, so the gadolinium cannot be flushed out of a person’s system. In this case, gadolinium detoxification is not able to occur as anticipated, and the heavy metal stays in a patient’s body.