Radiation from CT and x ray for a baby

[PurpleCath]

Yesterday, I took my 2 month old child to Great Ormond Street Hospital. They performed a CT scan and then decided to follow up with an X-ray. I was concerned that having both procedures on the same day might expose him to too much radiation. However, the nurse reassured me that the referring doctor had just spoken with the radiologist, and the radiologist approved the plan.
I was present and agreed to proceed, trusting their judgment—after all, I don’t have a medical background, and this is Great Ormond Street Hospital. But now that the day has passed, I’m in absolute panic. I feel like I let my child down. I keep thinking I should have questioned the decision.
If there are any radiologists here, I’d be so grateful for your input. Otherwise, if anyone has been in a similar situation, please share your experience or advice. I’m really struggling with anxiety over this.

If your child needed these tests, and paediatric doctors and radiologists discussed and approved them, then that is all that needs to be said. They would not have done them if it was not necessary. Repeated CT scans may cause a risk, but the risk is low

If your child needed these tests, and paediatric doctors and radiologists discussed and approved them, then that is all that needs to be said. They would not have done them if it was not necessary. Repeated CT scans may cause a risk, but the risk is low

No harm happened to your child.

The risk is balanced between the risk of exposure and the risk of not being able to diagnose a serious problem.

It must be very stressful having a baby in need of diagnostic scans. I'm sorry you're going g through this, and it's completely natural to be hugely worried at this type of situation.

But, as you say, the specialists have balanced the risk (which is actually very small) against the benefit of the scans.
Perhaps your brain is protecting you by distracting you from the diagnosis in poking you about the scans themselves?

Sometimes even if you get good news after a potential health issue, the worry doesn't vanish so much as find a new target before gradually subsiding. I imagine it's just a brain chemistry thing.

If your baby needed the tests they needed the tests. Spacing them out would make no difference to the dose received.

Not exactly the same OP but I had a lot of similar tests carried out while heavily pregnant with my second baby and I had a lot of worry about the radiation and how it could impact the unborn baby but I was given a lot of reassurance and she is 9 now and fine.

Ultimately these kind of tests are needed and the benefits of having them, in terms of getting a proper diagnosis, outweigh the very small risks of the radiation.

They don’t do these tests for nothing, if the baby needed the tests that’s the end of that. Ignoring medical advice could have been neglectful. They wouldn’t do these procedures if they would harm your baby

There will be no harm to your child. Respectfully I think you need to get help for your anxiety

Not a radiologist but I work in radiology. MN is not the place for medical advice. One CT scan and an x-ray is not going to cause any problems for your child. Doses are very very low and unless they are repeatedly being exposed to radiation, will have no lasting effects. If you are really concerned you need to talk to the referring doctor, who by the sounds of it, has already explained why your child needs these tests and has discussed with an MDT previously.
Are you usually this anxious about medical related things? If so, speaking to your own doctor about your anxiety may be beneficial for you.

Not a radiologist, but was a patient at GOSH from birth until 18.

I had monthly kidney scans which involved radiation being injected into me to visualise the veins better.

absolutely no side effects.

I would absolutely trust the doctors, especially at GOSH.

Radiologists refuse requests if they don’t feel they are necessary.

Not a radiologist but I would imagine that the doctors wouldn't have ordered the scans if not medically necessary. The benefits outweigh the risks and as others have said the risk is very low. I hope your little one makes a full recovery 💐

Thank you. No, the reffering doctor hasn't explained much about the investigations and I wish I could see him before we went ahead with it. My baby has an x ray about 5 weeks ago and is scheduled for another one in a couple of months. I just feel like it's too much, but again I'm not a medical professional so I'm really lost. I usually don't have any medical related fears but I did have quite a few during pregnancy and now. It's just cos I waiting for the baby for nearly 10 years and he's very precious ❤

Your baby clearly has something going on which needs investigating, they don't do scans for nothing! You need to trust the doctors on this occasion I think.

My 4.5 year old by 2 had multiple x rays. The radiation is actually very low and they wouldn’t recommend them unless it was medically necessary. Certainly wouldn’t be concerned by 1 at this point