Contents:
- Medical Video: Radiation Dose with CT Scan-Mayo Clinic
- Is it true that imaging tests increase the risk of cancer in children?
- The need for imaging tests for children
- What can parents do if the child has to undergo an imaging test?
Medical Video: Radiation Dose with CT Scan-Mayo Clinic
Children are vulnerable to injury and illness. There are times when parents who feel worried finally decide to do imaging tests for children, such as CT scans or X-rays (with X-rays) to get the right diagnosis. However, a study shows that using too many imaging tests can increase the risk of cancer in children. Then, can the child do an imaging test? Consider the following review.
Is it true that imaging tests increase the risk of cancer in children?
Dilanisr from WebMD, a study shows that children who have had a CT scan are more than three times at risk of developing brain tumors or leukemia. However, the research is still controversial. Because, it requires sufficient radiation to develop brain tumors or leukemia in children.
If only more than three times or tripled, it means that the radiation is still low to trigger cancer. In other words, experts estimate that 10,000 CT scans can cause cancer. Although the radiation is very small to increase cancer, too many imaging tests will certainly cause side effects later on.
The need for imaging tests for children
Imaging tests for children really help doctors to diagnose an illness. Moreover, children often have difficulty communicating what they feel when experiencing an injury. Although research on imaging tests can increase cancer has not been proven correct and makes you worry, a wise step you can take as a parent is not to force the child to do imaging tests if not needed.
The child's body is sensitive to radiation and too much radiation to the child is certainly not good in the future. Therefore, it should be noted that not all diseases or injuries to children require imaging tests. So, parents must discuss in advance with the doctor whether the child really needs an imaging test or not.
What can parents do if the child has to undergo an imaging test?
There are some illnesses or injuries to children who need imaging tests, such as head trauma due to falls or blows, chronic headaches, seizures, also diagnosing appendicitis. To get the right diagnosis, doctors still need imaging tests.
If your doctor requires your child to do an imaging test, you don't need to worry. Choosing a children's hospital and performing imaging tests at the hospital are safe for children. Because the hospital has adjusted the low radiation dose on the scanning machine for the size of children.
You need to ask your doctor for consideration first, which imaging test should be done by the child. Because CT scans have higher radiation than X-rays. However, the radiation dose in both must be adjusted to the child's dose.
You can also ask a number of questions to your doctor if you are still unsure about the safety of your child if you do an imaging test. Then, save the record or the results of the scan carried out by the child. This allows children not to need to do a repeat imaging test in a short time.
Then, preventing the occurrence of injury or injury to the child will certainly reduce the possibility of the child to carry out imaging tests. You should keep an eye on the child while playing and routinely check children's health as early detection if the child has an illness.
