Baby sedation please help

[Seashells47]

My 6 month dd is due to have a kidney scan next week, when reading the appointment letter it said she may have to be sedated for this. This isn’t necessary if she just has a nap as she needs to be perfectly still for the scan, I’m going to try and plan her nap for the appointment but I really don’t think this will work out, I’m terrified of them sedating her, I can’t stand the thought of me being unable to wake her up, has anyone else been through this and can tell me what it’s like?

My DD had sedation last month at 6 months old also, for an MRI scan. I was worried too beforehand but on the day, I was actually quite keen for them to sedate her as she was so hungry as she had to go without a feed for 4 hours before the sedative was given. However in our case, an emergency patient was brought in which put us back another hour so she was 5 hours without milk and HYSTERICAL which is took all my focus.

Regarding the sedation itself, it was given orally and they said it was unpleasant tasting. She was OK taking it, didn’t love it but it was fine. She ended up needing a second dose as she didn’t go to sleep after the first but once it kicked in she was flat out. She was quite floppy but she has low muscle tone so is floppy anyway, it is probably something you would notice more with your DD so I’d be aware of that, they did say to handle her like a newborn with her head/neck etc.

Afterwards the nurses let her sleep for maybe 45 mins/an hours then gently roused her and she woke up fine. She was a little drowsy for the next 24 hours but not as much as I’d expected.

I know it’s easy to say but try to not worry too much, it wasn’t anywhere near as bad an experience as I had thought it would be and the nurses and doctors will reassure you too I’m sure. I hope it all goes well for you.

Ds had a scan on his kidneys when he was a few weeks old they had picked up a possible problem in the 20 week scan with enlarged tubes or something (he is 16 now) he had a ultrasound didnt need to be sedated I just stripped him off and turned him over. It was done in a couple if minutes.

I do think sedation is different to a general they dont go to sleep properly they are just a bit dozy.

I can’t stand the thought of me being unable to wake her up,

You don’t wake her up. She wakes up after the procedure. A hospital does not let you take a child home that is still under sedation. They will wake up, be assessed as good to go then you take them home.

My 5 month old has just been sedated for a lung scan.

It was absolutely fine - he was initially given an oral medicine in syringe, essentially the same way you give calpol. He only swallowed half of this and it was very bitter tasting. Regardless he was aslee within 15 minutes. He did wake up before they managed to scan him - literally about 15 minutes after falling asleep. This time they gave him further medicine rectally. This again sent him to sleep within 15 minutes but he was awake within 45 minutes. He was also snoring very loudly and was definitely in a deep nap and completely rousable the whole time - if we had tried to wake him we could have. Afterwards he fed, and although he was definitely a but more sleepy in the afternoon he was completely back to normal as soon as he woke really.

It’s not a general anaesthetic so they aren’t completely knocked out.

To clarify though - we didn’t wake him. After the ct scan, he was still asleep and the lovely nurse let me carry him back to the ward (think she could see I was a bit upset). He woke up about 10 minutes after arrived back to the ward in the same way he would if he was asleep normally - searching for boob (he’d been nil by mouth before sedation) after he fed, and they were happy he was ok we were sent home. Our whole experience lasted about 5 hours but most of this was before he was sedated.

they also monitored his vitals the whole time - a little monitor for his pulse and blood pressure maybe was strapped to his little toe - so they would have definitely known of there was an issue.

Thank you everyone! You’ve definitely calmed my nerves a bit.