mri on child advice

[WhatNoWine]

Hi my child has to have an MRI soon and was after advice. Are you generally allowed in the room with them ? I know that if your in the scan you can't wear metal but what about in the room. I know about watches etc but what about zips, underwired bras etc. Also can you hold their hand etc? Thanks

depends on the age of the child really. Youngsters can have parents in the room. You will need to not have metal objects near the scanner. Staff will give you a questionnaire about it. Not sure about hand holding, I doubt it because the scan bed moves into the machine so probably not. They will play music and chat to your child all the way as it's quite noisy and knocking sounds are loud as the magnets line up. My child found it all really cool and exciting!!

XH and I were in the room when DC1 had an MRI at aged 7. But no, we couldn't hold his hand. Not that he cared - they put a video on for him to watch (Harry Potter, which was his choice) and he was engrossed!

You will have to fill in a safety questionnaire about any metal that might be in/around your person. You'll be fine with underwired bra, rivets in jeans etc but you will be asked to take off any jewellery and empty your pockets. There is no safety reason why you can't be in the room but it may depend on the hospital policy. Some will allow you in to reassure whilst they set up and then leave whilst the scan takes place. Some will let you stay for the whole thing.

You will also have to wear ear protection and probably won't be allowed to hold hands as you won't be able to reach!

I think it will depend on the hospital. I escorted various kids to scans as a student nurse and I never saw a parent in the room but if I remember right most of them were under general anaesthetic for the procedure.

You can't have anything metal in the room with the scanner even if you aren't the one being scanned.

As for hand holding, I'm not sure that would be possible as Bhaji says the bed goes right inside the machine.

My child had an MRI last year. I couldn't hold his hand but I could hold his leg and give a little squeeze when I could see him getting overwhelmed.

My ds was given a ga.

My DD needed a ga for her MRI as she wouldn't stay still, the noise was too much for her.

I was allowed in the room with my 12 year old, could pat her foot reassuringly but not hold hand. Nothing metal in pockets for the parent but yes an underwired bra should be fine - the risk for bystanders' clothes is that unsecured metal objects might shoot across the room to the magnet like bullets, so one pence pieces would be risky but jean rivets and underwrires should be ok.

Make sure your DS is wearing snuggly fleece and tracky bottoms because it can be pretty cold in there and you want him to be warm and relaxed.

I was allowed in room but had to do the same medical question nate so no metal etc. I was a lowed clip in bra and my coil. My child dint like the mri and couldn't keep still so it wasn't completed. They just did a different test on another machine instead.

My 10 year old ds went for mri on his own. I wasn't allowed in the room.

He also had lumbar puncture but I got to stay with him for that

Thank you all for your advice it's very helpful. Just hope they let me go in!