DS7 needs an MRI - any experience?

[Dustyblue]

My DS7 has a genetic condition (long story) and needs an MRI, to check for an optic glioma behind his right eye. His Ophthalmology scans show thinning of the optic nerve on the RHS. Thus we need an MRI to look further.

The hospital do a 'mock MRI' with their Play Therapists, but I'm not keen. It's a 30 minute 'mock' session then the actual MRI.

DS has been seeing a play therapist for the last 6 months, and we agreed it's not worth putting him through it. So, I've put my foot down (nicely!) with the hospital and insisted he has the MRI under GA.

This means we're putting off the MRI, and I'm wobbling. Did I do the right thing? Can kids that age get through a 30 min MRI whilst lying still and hearing all the noise (I've heard it's pretty loud in that MRI tube)

Sorry for babbling, worried Mummy here

My eight year old had an MRI and managed to lie still with no drugs for 45 mins. It was loud but we prepared him and it was fine. No mock session was offered. TBH nobody made a big deal of it so he just took it in his stride.

One of mine was fine with no sedation or GA, he just pretended he was in a spaceship. The other one needed GA.

The worst thing that can happen is you attempt it without GA and he doesn't cope. Then they will reschedule for another attempt with GA.

Making a big deal of it or not making a big deal of it has nothing to do with their ability to cope with a confined space and loud banging.

My baby had one at 12 months under sedation, it was an oral sedation and they could top up via a canual if required. There would be absolutely no way to keep a 12 month old still I guess! He did have to have a CT soon after and we did that with me being next to him ina lead apron and it was very quick so must be a different proces!

I would definitely try without GA first. GAs aren’t zero risk… If it doesn’t work out then you could resort to that? I think lots of kids would be fine if it’s explained properly to them. The mock thing sounds like a good idea so they know what to expect. Have you had one yourself? I have. It was noisy but they give you headphones and can talk to you through that or play music etc while there is clanking in the background. I’d just warn him it’s going to be a small space and very noisy while the machine does it’s work but it’s nothing to worry about and he’s going to be able to listen to his favourite tunes or show or whatever.

Our son had one in February, he was seven, he had a mock session where he was able to choose the colours in the room etc. He had his real one with no drugs and it was fine.

My DD was around 7 when she had one. I was allowed to stay in with her and hold her foot. I'm not going to lie, it was a stupendously long time and very loud! She did it though. They repeated a few times as she must have moved (a tiny amount).

My autistic child managed to lie still for a brain scan when he was 8. They put cartoons on for him to watch (this was at gosh).

It's not that bad - it's just lying down in a noisy tube. I wouldn't give my child GA if I could avoid it.

My DC had an MRI when they were 5, almost 6 - not sedated.

I explained they needed to lie really really still and practiced at home. There are video/audio recordings on the internet of the sounds they make, so you can show them to children first so they know what the machine looks and sounds like.

At our hospital they have the facility to show Netflix on a screen while in the machine.

I was allowed to go in and sit next to the machine, but tbh it they couldn’t seen me, so I’m not sure if that helped. DC just started to get a bit antsy towards the end and was moving their legs. I stood up to rub them and a voice came into the room saying don’t worry about keeping them still, we’ve finished the scan, the machine is just finishing off.

We offered a play therapist, but the wait was huge just after covid so decided to try without. In the end it was all fine.

Really good to hear so many have done well without sedation. I'll have a think about it. One smaller issue is that these appointments involve travel, time off work & sometimes an o/night stay, so booking and rescheduling isn't ideal but we'll see.

Thanks all

Also should've mentioned, he's a pretty anxious little boy who hates loud noises, so can't help but think it'd be awful for him, but maybe not.

my dc had an mri of the legs at that age.

no ga or sedation and no preparation via play therapist (no time), though the play therapist had some music or audio books for dc to chose to listen to.

it was fine for us, leg was put in a sort of brace to ensure it couldn't move.

I have done mris as an adult. There are some machines that are wider than others, the wider ones I find easier as other ones are very tight. For head ones I have had to put like a mask on like a spaceman type mask, maybe check exactly what mri would be. There is a button you can squeeze for help and it stops at any time. It's seriously noisy like a road drill in each ear, one time they gave me headphones and music that was so much better but don't know if they can do that with head mask but if music calms him there maybe an option and can chose music possibly. I am not sure I would bother with play therapist but would look at adjustments they can make and get as much info in advance. I would try without general to start with though I also have a very anxious boy and he would not go near mri so it maybe general is only option.

If he’s anxious I would probably think about sedation. I’ve recently had a brain MRI and I watched tons of videos/did research about it, but it was a very strange experience. And takes ages (I was in there for 25 minutes).

I had earplugs and headphones on playing music and could still hear all the noises. Rather unsettling! Plus you do have to stay still for the whole time.

I think if it was Dd who is also anxious I would also push for GA. It just takes away a lot of the stress of it all I think.

Then having the mock one seems like a good idea.

Nobody here can tell you how he might react to any of this because we don't know him but what I do know is that quite often, children can manage to do things that their parents wouldn't think them capable of when they are at school. If you went to a cafe with a four year old then you wouldn't give them the tray with their meal on to carry across a busy room but at school it's just something they do.

It could be that once he's had the play session and everything has been explained to him he understands what's going to happen that he will be OK doing it.

You must really want to protect him from what is happening which is completely understandable.

My DD had one at 6, without any meds or rehearsal. I was with her holding her leg. She has ADHD but actually enjoyed the rhythmic banging - she fell asleep for the last 20mins!
Hope all goes well for you.

My DS has had 11MRIs in the last year on his brain (he was 8 for the first one, now 9). Each one lasts 45 minutes plus and he hates them but he can and does lie still (despite having neurological involuntary twitching). He doesn't get films or anything like that to distract him and the music is barely audible (Atkinson Morley) but the staff are fantastic and bribery goes a long way!

I would absolutely avoid a GA if you can. In the event your son needs any after surgery they really don't like doing GAs close together if it's not an absolute emergency. Plus you are putting your son through a risky (albeit very low risk) procedure for the sake of him just needing to lie still, not to mention the fact that multiple staff will be needed and with current strikes you risk being bumped even when you're at the hospital ready to go (and you have said how difficult finding the time is).

DS has had a few MRIs. You know your child best. Would he lie still for it to avoid a fasting for GA and being in hospital all day?
DS happily watches a movie but was a bit older when he had his first MRI.

Would light sedation be a better option than a ga?

My almost 10 year old has had lots. We tried without GA when she was 7 but we didn't get as far as lying down. She hates loud noises and strange situations so we have continued using GA. I can't see her doing it without any time soon.

Actually that was the initial plan, but the Royal Children's Hospital in Melbourne (should've mentioned we're in Oz, thankfully no strikes here) only do light sedation for kids under 7. Ds just turned 7, so here we are.

So the choice is awake or GA, rather than light sedation? That's really inflexible. Personally, I would go for GA in order to ensure they get good MRI images.
My son has had multiple MRIs (lost count) since he was 2/3 years old. By the time he was 4.5 he was managing awake MRIs, but it took a bit of getting used to. He had treatment which involved 30 rounds of radiation under GA each time (that was very hard to wrap my head around), so I was keen to avoid more GAs.

GAs aren't risk free, but they serve a purpose. Good luck with the MRI, I hope he gets the all clear.

Maybe reconsider the trial run one first then. MRI machines are very noisy.

Good luck.

DS was 4 when he had to have one.
We had a session with the play therapist which did help but didn't stop DS screaming the place down when he was due to go in. After a few minutes of us trying to soothe him, the nurse stepped in, told him he had to do it and to be quiet and that was it - into the tube he went.
He was a bit quiet & subdued for the rest of the day but was fine after that. He's now 11 and it came up in conversation the other day. He remembers it but his only comment was that it meant he was late for a birthday party.
The MRI meant that the ENT was able to figure out something about DS' ears which meant she could come up with an effective plan for his hearing loss and no longer had to worry whether a couple of other behaviours he was exhibiting were the signs of a bigger issue or just random.

If you think light sedation would be best it may be worth asking if they can make exception, that happens here, they offer standard options but they do have capacity to make exceptions if a good reason.