Pregnancy and the immigration medical exam
New Zealand Immigration requires that all adult applicants, without exception, have a chest X-ray at some stage. This is a part of the tuberculosis control program. If you are pregnant and are concerned about having an X-ray, you have a few options:
- You can have the X-ray now, with a special protective shield covering your abdomen. This protects your baby from radiation. (This is probably safe but no guarantee can be given. Consult your own doctor for advice)
- You can do the other parts of your medical examination now and return for the X-ray after the birth of your baby. However, your medical report will not be processed by INZ until the X-ray examination is completed.
- You can postpone the whole examination until after the birth of your baby.