Note when X-raying your baby

The article was consulted professionally by Master, Dr Lam Thi Kim Chi – Department of Diagnostic Imaging – Share99 Da Nang International Health Hub.

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Is X-ray harmful to your baby? This is a problem many parents are concerned about, sometimes leading to non-cooperation when the doctor prescribes an X-ray for their child. But what is the role of X-rays in Medicine, is it really harmful for babies to take x-rays… not everyone understands.

1. When to have an X-ray for your baby?

X-rays are forms of radiation energy, like light or radio waves but have more energy levels, allowing it to pierce the body. After that, the images of the internal structures will be printed on the film plate or on the computer screen. Therefore, X-rays are a very popular type of image media, easy to do in many places. X-ray imaging has helped improve diagnosis and treatment in pediatric health problems.

Your child may need an X-ray for a variety of health problems, from fractures after falling to unsymliced abdominal pain. In particular, X-rays are especially good at providing information about hard tissues in the body, such as bones, teeth.

The procedure for X-rays takes place very quickly and simply in a closed room, properly isolated to avoid radioactive leakage. At the same time, children are also dressed appropriately, without any metal objects on the body such as jewelry, keychains on clothes …

If the child is older, parents can guide them to stand or take appropriate position to reveal the area to be surveyed. However, for young children, it can be more difficult to get an X-ray. Sometimes it is necessary for both parents to properly care for the child on the X-ray table. Even so, when the technician conducts the scan, exposure to radiation from X-rays will not cause any symptoms. In other words, the child has absolutely no discomfort during the X-ray.

Baby falls

Baby falls can cause closed trauma

2. Is it harmful to your baby's X-ray?

Since X-rays are a very common type of imaging test, safety is generally relatively high so it is widely used in medical diagnosis, not only in children but also in adults. For specialized X-ray machines for children, technicians always pay attention to adjust the radioactive energy to a sufficient level to provide the doctor with information about the internal structures of the body and prevent the risk of radiation exposure at the lowest level. These tests showed that children at low doses of radiation.

You may be worried about your child being exposed to radioactive energy during X-rays but you also need to know that radiation sources are always around us anytime, anywhere from sunlight and other light sources. People who regularly work outdoors, living in up areas, are at greater risk of exposure to radiation.

Although observations have demonstrated that energy sources from high-energy radiation and exposure to large doses can damage living tissue through mechanisms that disrupt the stable structure of genetic materials in the cell spores as DNA. This is a risk factor for developing cancer later on, but this pathology can still occur on a person even though he has never had an X-ray in his life!

Children's Xquang

X-rays of young children

Meanwhile, for X-rays used in medicine, the energy used is very low, especially when indicdical to children. For example, when your child takes a standard chest X-ray, the amount of radiation he has received is completely equivalent to the amount of radiation in a normal environment for 2 to 3 days. This is even less than the amount of radiation that is at risk of exposure when completing a flight. Therefore, doctors often advise parents not to be too worried when X-rays for their baby, if necessary, a repeat scan may be required, as this is basically an important subclinical introsenter for diagnosing and treating the child's disease.

In addition, when your doctor prescribes X-rays to agencies near parts sensitive to radioactive energy, because there are cells that divide at a fast pace, technicians carefully shield your child to ensure the lowest risk of exposure to your child. Those parts may be the thyroid gland in the neck, the testicles in the scrotum in the boy, and the ovaries in the lower abdomen of the girl.

The risk from X-rays is small when compared to their benefits in diagnosing and treating the disease. However, we still need to work hard to mitigate the risk by reducing unnecessary exposure to X-rays for the following reasons:

  • Pediatric patients are more sensitive to radiation than adults, meaning a higher risk of cancer per unit of ionized radiation
  • Using the device and setting the exposure level designed for adults can lead to excessive exposure if used for the child.
  • Pediatric patients have a longer expected lifespan than adults, so the risk of cancer is higher due to the effects of radiation exposure.

Radioactive X-rays

X-rays can pose a risk of radioactive contamination to your child

3. What can parents do to prevent radiation exposure from X-rays to their children?

X-rays are necessary in the diagnosis and treatment of the disease. However, in order to prevent radiation exposure from X-rays to their children, parents should not do it on their own, but only when prescribed by a doctor for clear medical purposes. In these cases, the risk of X-rays being significantly smaller than not taking or delaying X-rays.

However, parents can also contribute to proactively minimizing their child's risk of radiation exposure in a reasonable way when doing the following:

  • Absolutely do not allow your child to have an X-ray or repeat scan without a doctor's note.
  • Inform your doctor that your child has been X-rayed several times in a short time. At the same time, provide the doctor with X-ray films that children have previously taken for convenient comparison and comparison.
  • Before performing an X-ray, as well as fluorescence or CT scans, parents can ask their doctor for clear health benefits in your child's pathology.
  • Provide accurate weight and height of the child to the technician to be able to adjust the amount of radiation used is the lowest but still get the images that meet the requirements.
  • Use shielding tools when possible, especially for very sensitive areas such as the thyroid gland and genitals.

Share99 Times City Pediatrics

X-rays for children only upon doctor's decree

In summary, X-rays in Medicine are the use of X-rays as a form of radiation energy to capture images of structures in the body. Many parents are worried about the risk of radiation exposure in the formation of cancer pathology in the distant future, however it should be noted that, with thorough visits by a doctor, X-ray is always a necessity for timely, accurate diagnosis and treatment of the diseases that your child currently suffers from.

Dr. Lam Thi Kim Chi graduated with a Master's degree in Diagnostic Imaging from Hue University of Medicine and Pharmacy and has over 6 years of experience as an imaging doctor. Dr. Chi worked at Da Nang Obstetrics and Pediatrics Health Hub before being a diagnostic imaging doctor at Share99 Da Nang International Health Hub today.

To register for examination and treatment at Share99 International Health Hub, please go directly to Vinmec health system or register for an online examination HERE.

Reference source: webmd.com; fda.gov

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About: John Smith

b1ffdb54307529964874ff53a5c5de33?s=90&r=gI am the author of Share99.net. I had been working in Vinmec International General Hospital for over 10 years. I dedicate my passion on every post in this site.

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