4yo & MRI. How?

[wrinkleseverywhere]

We found out today that 4yo DS will need to have an MRI scan. How? How am I going to persuade a 4yo to lie down, remain still & slide into a tube and continue to remain still? Do I explain it to him in advance or doing it on him? Can he take a cuddly toy on? Can I take music for him to listen to (I could take my own music when I had an MRI)? Might he be completely unphased by the whole experience?
I realise I am fortunate as DS is NT and generally quite well behaved, particularly when being told what to do by people in authority less so by me!! but I just can't see this going smoothly.
Does anyone have any experience?

Has light sedation been offered ?

No...but nothing about the procedure was mentioned at all. The reference to the MRI was so matter of fact and routine that I just nodded & said of course! Whilst I could have asked questions, it occurred to me the consultant wouldn't be the one doing the scan & may not know much about the practicalities of doing it with young children.

I think you will be offered sedation for him

what needs to be looked at?
foot end will be easier than head end.
speak to mri department, they must do that every so often with children, either with sedation or with an occupational therapist explaining everything.

You will get a letter from the scanning dept when your slot comes up detailing everything

and yes, explain it to dc. imo telling matter of fact what's going to happen is reassuring.

This is reassuring. Thank you! Head end.

My 5yo had one and was knocked out completely. He had a brain MRI. Took a couple of hrs, then a couple in recovery. I just told him he needed special pictures of his brain and that he'd have a lovely sleep when they were being done. He coped fine with that

They normally give a general anaesthetic for very young children. My daughter wasn't put out for hers at 3 1/2 but she was in a body cast and couldn't really move much. My son was going to have a brain MRI at 18 months and they were going to do a general anaesthetic.

I'd be very surprised if he didn't have a GA. My son has had a couple and had GA for both. We were in a waiting room and had 3 other children there all had GAs for an MRI. It's a long time for them to lay still plus very noisy. My son took a cuddly toy to hold whilst bring put to sleep. A couple of the children had a pre-op to make them relaxed before the GA. My son didn't as he had no idea what was coming! We just made it into one big adventure.

Be prepared never pleasant seeing your child have a GA. But it's all relatively short and you can see him in recovery straight after the procedure. Hope it goes well.

It will be sedated or under GA at that age.

My 3yo niece had an Mri under general anaesthetic.I think it's common place as young children move a lot and it is quite loud so could be scary for them.

He'll have A GA, he's too old for sedation and a GA is safer

My DS has had a few MRI's and has a GA with it. He can take a cuddly toy in with him as long as it doesn't have metal in it. NT children usually have a GA if they are between 4 months and about 8 years at our hospital.

You would be better ringing the MR department to discuss when you get the appointment through. He will not necessarily need an anaesthetic at this age it would depend on the length of the scan and the hospital.

My 3yo DD had an MRI under GA. It was weird but ok. She was a bit disorientated and unhappy when she woke up but I got her back to sleep and after more sleep she was fine and could go home once she'd eaten and weed.