x rays in children.

[Jo20082008]

My four year old son recently had what I thought was an unnecessary chest x ray. I was told by two doctors a nurse and a radiologist that it was no different than taking him on a flight to Spain. Now I have read all kinds of things on the internet and I am worried sick about the consequences. The doctor still says I am worrying about nothing and the risks are negligiable but is that because the consequences of x rays are so much later in life that there are no real statistics so nobody really knows? Please can anyone advise me

[sara3]

Jo, you really can't worry about what is done. I don't know what the stats are for this but my son had a skull x-ray when he was about 3 months old... he's now 11 and he seems fine :o)

it's done. it's like eating peanuts while pregnant or breast-feeding. does that bring on nut allergies in children? we do things for whatever reason, and it's unhealthy to worry so much about something you have no control over. it's not like you've smoked or drunk alcohol through your pregnancy (I assume!) so you have, and probably will always keep doing your best for your kids.

[firewatch]

my brothers in law have had regular chest x-rays from a young age and they seem fine so do not worry the doctors had a reason to do the x-ray in the first place and so to them it wasn't unnecessary.
Just think at least you can your son is ok.

[Jo20082008]

I would not feel so bad had it seemed to be very necessary but his chest was clear. They just seemed so very routine about doing it and said it was the base line to any check-up where a child has a persistent cough.. Can this be right.. I feeel like I should have stood my ground and paused to see what was going on but I was not given a chance. It seems incredible that people are told that a flight to Spain is the same thing... Can this be true..

[Jo20082008]

Thanks for your replies. Can you tell me what age your brother-in-laws are and what age they had the x rays? Were they ever told there could be risks or is it just that I am maybe over the top?

[sara3]

you're getting carried away. if they'd not done the x-ray and your child had pnuemonia you'd be more upset that they'd not been thorough at an early stage.

they don't send anyone for an x-ray without considering the risks and costs. they certainly didn't do it because they couldn't be bothered to dish out anti-biotics.

[firewatch]

I could not tell you the exact ages they were but know they suffer with problems with there chest particularly in winter,(one is now 17 and the other is 15) i know on one occasion it took 2 doctors to finally get an x-ray for the youngest which led to the discovery of him having pneumonia.
My mother in law is a nurse and knows the risks and does not take the boys being sent for exploratory tests lightly she likes to know all other options available.
But with there long standing chest problems the first thing SHE asks for is an x-ray if she feels it is neccesary.
so i think you have every right to worry and unlike my mother in law you don't know that the risks far out way the benefits.

[cazzz1975]

sara is right, they had good reason to carry out the xray, you would soon be upset if they had not and your son would have developed pneumonia.

there are risks involved in most things that we all ignore, drinking alcohol, smoking, eating too much bad fat, leading a sedentary lifestyle, kids playing out in the street poses risks

Infinately more dangerous than having an xray

[Jo20082008]

The first doctor who saw him asked me if I would just like her to prescribe him some anti-biotics as a precautionary measure, then she said or you could go over to the peadiatric unit just to get him checked out if you prefer. Which I did. And they did actually say well best to give him an x ray as any persistent cough should be investigated. He had never had any medication for this cough before as they said it was just due to viruses that kids pick-up. Surely all children who have a persitent cough are not given an x ray. I have spoken to the doctor and he assures me that they are if it lasts longer than four weeks even intermittent, and that it is just a base line to any investigation.

[cazzz1975]

hmm I know doctors are not prescribing antibiotics as much now due to virus' becoming immune to the effects, Any cough that lasts over a period of weeks is worth investigating, maybe he heard something in his lungs when he examined him?

[Jo20082008]

No they both said his chest was clear and it could be asthma bringing about the coughing bouts. He said the x ray will determine if its asthma and we could then give him a pump.

[daffy654]

One x-ray is really no risk at all,we are exposed to more radiation throughout our lives from standing near microwaves and using mobile phones etc,all to no detrimental effect whatsoever. He will be fine so stop worrying :-)

[bednobs]

a persistnt cough could be an indication of tb - the only thing to rule this out is an xray. this disease is on th e increase in this country, and children arent innoculated against it any more, and so i can see why they wanted to invstigate him. Tb can be fatal (much more fatal than one xray!)
Tv's give out radiation, microwaves give out radiation, and yes flights do increase you exposure to radiation

[ladyalex]

If it is any consolation to you, my cousin and I had very regular X-rays when we were very small...about aged 3 to aged 6. We had to go for them every 3 months , so I reckon we must have had at least 12 each. This was to screen us regularly because my cousin's Mum, my aunt, had TB. She eventually recovered, I am fine and so is my cousin. My cousin and I are both in our late fifties and can honestly say that we have had no ill effects.
Stop worrying.

[k8bailey]

Hi Jo,
I understand your worries, I have a baby girl and although I think nothing of having an xray or taking medication myself I would agonise over doing the same to her!

I had very regular xrays as a baby right up till the age of about 10, I don't know exactly what they were looking for but it was something they did because I had a heart condition. I'm now 23 and the xrays haven't done me any harm at all!

It's easy to tell you to stop worrying, but please be assured that the risk is very small and a doctor would not xray a child or anyone without a good reason.

I hope your little boy is ok!

k8.x

[Jo20082008]

Thanks so much for your replies.. Its been very helpful especially to hear from people who have had x rays as children. It is all so confusing and when they say its the same as a flight to Spain I am thinking so why dont they haave warnings about the risk in doing that then? I haave been baffled by the science of it all and as you say if it is for myself I would not worry in fact I have had some x rays but the worrying thing to me is a person being so small. The internet is very contradictery as you go from so many even well known sources