Has anyone experience of a child having a MRI of their head without sedation

[rachael290]

My little boy is five and due to have an MRI scan next week, initially we thought he would be sedated but now it has been decided that they will try and see how he copes without sedation. I don't want him to be terrifed, so don't know whether to insist he is sedated or try without. Any advise?

Its a difficult call. The machine is very noisy and its a claustaphobic experience and you have to be very very still. To be honest I think the hospital is being very optimistic that he wan't move. What part of his body is he having done? My 5 yo had it done with sedation.

His head! If he has to be sedated we will have to wait weeks, so we are just hoping he will manage.

It takes between 25-30 minutes to do a MRI, will he be able to lie down very still for this long? The scanner is very noisey aswell, there will be a cage over his head so he will feel very enclosed. Personally I'd wait and have him sedated but it depends on your child. You may be able to stay with him though as there's no radiation risk.

The MRI scan is huge and noisy and kind of bad enough when you are not in the room. I was very very glad ds was sedated (at 3). I don't think we had a hope of doing it without sedation.

Have had recent experience of head MRI but with sedated 6 month old. We were able to stay with him the whole time and could stand quite close, hold his hand, and if he'd been awake would have been able to make eye contact. It took 20 mins and was quite loud but he would have been able to hear us sing to him (something we have done during unsedated CT scans).

I think a lot will come down to your child. My DS (5) - laid-back, easily comforted - would be able to do it; my (DD 4) - independent, highly strung - would never do it in a million years.

Is there any way to show him what it's like before he has it done so he knows what to expect? There's a video of everything under the sun on the web surely.

It might help to practise lying down with his head held still, discuss the lights and noise and the fact you will be there with him the whole time. Would this approach work for your DS?

I have no experience of dc with MRI, but I have had an MRI on my head a couple of years ago. It takes about half an hour and you have to go through a tunnell. You are completely enclosed. I have to agree that I think the hosp are being incredibly optimistic too. My 5 year old son would not cope and tbh I don't think I'd try as it would be too traumatic. I think it's unfair of them to put you in this situation. Is there no way they will do it with sedation soon? I hope all goes well whatever you decide.

Depends on child and how child friendly the hospital. Dd has to have an MRI every year. She always had a GA until we decided last yr when she was 8 to try without. She has hers done in a children's hospital so the whole things is geared up for kids. There is a Tv at the head end of the tunnel and headphones, they choose their movie before they go in. The machine itself is painted and decorated to appeal to kids and of course the staff are fab with them, and I could stay with her the whole time.
DD was initially worried and didn't want to get in, the person doing the scan took her around the machine and controls showed her everything and explained everything until she tentatively agreed to get in.
In the end she was absolutely fine laid in there watching HSM for 40 minutes. She didn't want to get out!
If I'd known it would be so easy for her I'd have asked to do it without GA before.
I have had an MRI in obv not a children's hospital and I didn't like it at all, it was claustraphobic and loud and horrid, and I had nothing to take my mind off it all.
So it really is dependent on what your DS is like, and where he is having it done I think.

(that got a bit long, sorry!)

I would advise sedation if it is possible for you to wait.
My little boy was 8 when he had his last MRI (head and neck) done without sedation. He hated the loud noise and really struggled to stay still. The person who did the scan kept shouting to me 'tell him to lay still'. He tried but he has respiratory problems and he has to cough / clear his throat regularly which meant he moved.
When I went to see the consultant for the results, the person doing the scan had written that 'patient did not co-operate with procedure' on my little man's notes

So it sounds like the experience will very much depend on the hospital / person doing the tests.

Good luck

When my Dd was 4-5 she had a head scan MRI without sedation. She was ok to lie still and listen to a story tape through earphones for the duration - not a childrens hospital and I have to admit, not particularly children friendly staff, but she did fine. It certainly is possible.
I was very against a GA unless absolutley vitally necessary. But DD was a very calm little girl.

Good luck.

My DS was a bit older and was 9 when he had one and he actually enjoyed and he treated like a big adventure.

Only two days to go now. I think they must have earphones as they said I could bring a story tape for him to listen to and it is in a children's mri unit so I'm hoping they are all geared towards children. I haven't told him yet, I feel guilty, I don't want the whole experience to leave him traumatised, he is already saying he is sick of hospital appointments and we have lots more to come. But after reading what undertheboredwalk said I feel more positive. I can't actually talk about it out loud without wanting to cry and they are pretty sure he has nothing really wrong with him, I honsetly don't know how parents with really poorly children cope.