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General health

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Original poster

Too many xrays for 6 week old?

13 replies

Kiwiem · 27/09/2006 08:13

Thought this was as good a place as any to bring this up...I have a niggling ongoing fear about DS. When he was 6 weeks old he had intersusseption (where a piece of the bowel telescopes over itself). He eventually ended up having emergency surgery and now, at 7 months, is doing well apart from being totally hyperactive! However, surgery is a last resort with intersusseption, and before they decided to operate he had 12 minutes of continuous x-rays (in four blocks of 3 minutes) while they tried to unfurl his bowel with an air enema (not fun for the poor wee boy; we were in pieces). My worry is the number of xrays he had and the prolonged exposure - surely this is an excessive amount for anyone, let alone a baby that small?

Can anybody advise me on this? I know xrays have a cumulative effect but I can't shake the fact that they shouldn't have given him so many and that it may cause him problems later. Thanks.

OP posts:

Twiglett · 27/09/2006 08:17

how come he's 7 months on this thread and 9 months on your too thin thread?

It sounds like he had a pretty serious condition and surgeons obviously needed this kind of information to operate correctly

I don't think it was your decision over the x-rays tbh .. and there is no point worrying about them as he may otherwise have died

belgo · 27/09/2006 08:22

Twiglett - I don't think she mentioned age on too thin thread.
OP: You didn't have a choice about the x rays. I'm no expert, but please try and just be relieved that your ds has recieved the treatment that he needed.

Original poster

Kiwiem · 27/09/2006 08:23

Um, I don't remember saying he was 9 months old there?! I was just adding an opinion to someone else's thread that my baby was long and skinny for his age, which is 7 months...it was the original poster of the other thread who has the 9 month old.

OP posts:

Original poster

Kiwiem · 27/09/2006 08:24

Thanks for the sensible advice on the xrays though - yes, he would have died without the op but it's just one of those niggles re the xrays.

OP posts:

saggarmakersbottomknocker · 27/09/2006 08:29

Kiwiem - ooo I had intersusseption as a baby - in the early 60's so pretty lucky to still be here.

My dd has had lots of x-rays, scans and CT's too. I understand - it's a worry. What can you do though, you don't really have a choice at the time and surgery is risky so if the x-rays could have saved him from that.....

Glad he's doing well now.

harrisey · 27/09/2006 08:40

I was worried about myself with xrays as I had to have a lot of lower pelvic xrays and CT scans when I was being treated for a kidney problem. I spoke to the senior radiographer in the hospitla who told me that the radiography staff are absolutely paranoid about overdosing on xrays and would not have allowed me to have too many, even if it was my consultant surgeon who was asking. I am sure they are even more careful with kids. In fact, when I badly sprained my ankle inthe same year they were rally loath to xray it and only did one film as they said I was going to be past my yearly limit.
It is a yearly limit through, so if he needed xrays in the future then the ones he had earlier wouldnt count.
Glad to hear your ds is doing well now.

Original poster

Kiwiem · 27/09/2006 10:20

Agree any surgery is risky which is why they tried so hard with the air enema. Didn't realise there was a yearly limit - interesting!

OP posts:

Twiglett · 27/09/2006 12:08

sorry Kiwiem .. wasn't reading other thread properly

2plus2plus1 · 27/09/2006 18:38

DTDs probably had about 30ish X-rays in their first 3 months. They seem fine now (5yrs). I have got some facts & figures somewhere that compares the radiation from different sources e.g. flying, X-Rays, living in certain areas of the contry. It will be after DC are in bed though.

2plus2plus1 · 27/09/2006 21:05

To put his exposure into the scheme of things, exposure from teh environment is much greater than the dose from medical procedures:

Average annual exposure (environmental) 1900 microSv (closer to 7000 in cornwall)
Chest X-Ray 50microSv
Flight from New York to Tokyo 200microSv

When you compare it to the dose that some people get, just from where they live it is relatively small.

HTH

DominiConnor · 27/09/2006 21:28

According to my mate who does this for a living, the biggest source of mutogenic radiation is air travel. One trip to Spain will hit you with more than any XRay dose short of radiotherapy for cancer.

The only thing to recally care about DS is that they applied the proper procedures for his testicles. You do not want XRays there is you can possibly help it.

Original poster

Kiwiem · 28/09/2006 13:54

Had no idea about air travel, and certainly not about exposure just from where you live. They definitely had a plate over his testicles. I can't remember because I was v upset but DH assures me they did (and I guess he would be thinking about that more than me !

OP posts:

tissy · 28/09/2006 13:59

plenty of people have far more Xrays than that and come to no harm. The thing with Xrays is that we don't actually know what dose causes problems, so have to be cautious in their use. BUT the relative risk of a few Xrays compared to emergency surgery is low. In the end your boy needed the surgery anyway, but if the air enema had been successful, then an anesthetic and operation (much more risky) would have been avoided.

If he is well now, then he probably will have very few xrays ever again, so the chances of him coming to any harm from them are minute.

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