Magnetic resonance imaging is a technique that uses a magnetic field and radio waves to create detailed images of the organs and tissues within your body. It is not uncommon for children to undergo MRI of different parts of their bodies for diagnosis of various diseases, sports-related injuries, headaches or neurological issues.
The experience of having an MRI can cause anxiety and stress on anyone, but particularly on children. The procedure requires lying still in a small, enclosed space, often holding one’s breath, and hearing loud, knocking or banging noises that are necessary for the machine to produce the diagnostic images. Depending on the reason for the MRI, an injection of contrast media to improve the visibility of internal body structures is necessary to help physicians evaluate the nature of the problem.
However challenging having an MRI sounds, many children sail through these procedures every day. Medical research has shown that youngsters who are prepared in advance are less anxious and better able to cooperate during medical exams and procedures. Here are few helpful suggestions every parent and caregiver to a child should consider when MRI is recommended.
Be an active participant. Ask questions to make certain you understand why the study is being done and what will be expected of the child. If the exam requires breath holding and the child is unable to do so because of age or maturity level, the child may need sedation. This is something you should discuss upfront with the physician recommending the MRI so that all medical clearances can be arranged in advance of the study.
Get support from experts. Many hospitals, such as ours, have dedicated child life personnel who can meet with your child before the MRI to help you determine if the child is able to have the exam without anesthesia. They can also provide strategies and coaching to ensure that your child can get through the MRI with as little discomfort as possible.
[Read: 7 Facts About Child Life Specialists.]
Practice and pretend. It can be a challenge to ask a child to lie still for one hour or even 30 minutes. This is actually something that the child, depending on his or her age, can practice in advance of the MRI. You can improvise a tunnel out of sofa pillow or purchase a play tent so your child can better understand what it may feel like to be within the MRI machine.
Listen to the sound and the beat of an MRI. There are multiple audio tracks available online that demonstrate the noises your child will encounter during an MRI. It may be helpful for the child to listen to these in advance while practicing in their pretend MRI. Many MRI centers, especially those accustomed to performing this examination on children, will have multimedia devices children can use during the exam. This includes headphones and/or video display. Parents are encouraged to bring discs of their child’s favorite music/programs to play through these devices during their MRI. Unfortunately, due to the nature of the machinery, personal electronic devices cannot be brought into the scanner because they will be destroyed by the magnetic field. However, do bring personal devices to the hospital to use while the child is waiting for the procedure to begin.
Dress for success. Metal buttons, snaps, belts and zippers are not compatible with a successful MRI. Try to dress your child in comfortable clothes they like to wear that have no metal parts; they can wear these clothes throughout the procedure. Since MRI rooms tend to be chilly, a favorite blanket from home (no metal parts!) can also be good to have handy for extra warmth and reassurance.
In recent years, many hospitals have purchased, created or received MRI simulators to help prepare patients for the MRI experience. The limitations of these simulators are cost and availability, as they are generally only available within the hospital setting. At The Children’s Hospital at Montefiore, we are undertaking a research project to determine if LEGOÒ simulators actually decrease patient anxiety, improve experience, decrease the need for anesthesia and overall positively affect the outcome of the patient’s MRI. We have designed, with the help of Erik Ranschaert and Dirk Denoyelle, a miniature LEGOÒ MRI simulator for medical play prior to the exam. Hopefully, it will help the child conceptualize the MRI experience. The Child Life Department has a larger scale LEGOÒ MRI to help explain the procedure when the child arrives at the hospital. Although it’s in its infant stages, our goal is to popularize this method and distribute these kits to as many hospitals as are interested.
[See: When to Fire Your Doctor.]
Parental participation prior to, during and after the MRI improves our ability to provide the best diagnostic test and result that we can offer.
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When Your Kid Needs an MRI: Optimizing the Experience originally appeared on usnews.com
