Horrendous guilt after my toddler had an x-ray

[NotGotAClue1]

My 17 month old has just had two x-rays today on his chest and abdomen and I feel terrified thinking about the radiation and possibility of cancer years down the line. It was because I was worried because we had a battery missing although I think I knew deep down he couldn’t have swallowed it but I had that horrible thought at the back of my mind that wouldn’t go away so we went to A&E. Of course I’m relieved to know he hadn’t but now I can’t stop thinking about how I should have just trusted my instinct and protected him from an unnecessary x-ray.

For context I have massive anxiety problems, especially around health, and especially with my son. Am I being irrational or am I right to be feeling this way?

I had to sign the consent form when my ds 20 months needed surgery. The guilt and weight of responsibility weighed heavy. Breath op. First of many such medical decisions ime. Even then having jabs has us doubting medicine sometimes!

You should try to talk to someone about your anxiety, OP. Parenting has an awful lot of ups and downs, and with this level of anxiety you're going to find it pretty tricky. Acting preemptively and getting support will make your experiences of parenting a lot better.

In addidtion is will help keep you from passing your anxieties on to your son. I say this with all compassion as I had to do similar myself.

Your son will be fine after a couple of X-rays.

OP, we are all exposed to radiation on a daily basis (see graphic). I understand that you would obviously wish to avoid any unnecessary exposure but there is so much risk in life which is unavoidable and and as PPs have said, uncontrolled anxiety could be just as damaging to your health.

Massively unreasonably as X-rays produce less radiation than a long-haul flight. By that logic, parents can be blamed for giving their kids cancer by taking them onto airplanes.

However what's more concerning is that you took him to A&E for an xray knowing he didn't swallow the battery. The actual risk of radiation is negligible, but it's not healthy to subject a small child to medical treatment when deep down you know it's to ameliorate your own anxiety. There were plenty of risks in that scenario such as him catching an illness at the hospital or increasing the waiting times for other very sick children.

It's also the tip of an iceberg. A small child will end up in all kinds of medical situations. If you cannot cope with your anxiety and always take him to hospital for excessive checkups then it's not good for anyone involved. Worst case scenario is that a doctor or nurse may flag your behaviour as Munchausen by Proxy in his notes and it becomes much harder to be taken seriously in case of a genuine emergency.

Well it's better to have an x ray than run the risk of him having eaten a battery and the outcome of that.

This is an anxiety issue that you should address with your GP, it's not typical to get worked up about this title of thing. Your toddler will be fine.

This. The risk of any harm from two X-rays is honestly practically non existent. I would have done the same in your situation.

However I agree with PP that you do need to get help with your anxiety or you risk passing on a host of problems to your little one.

Yes, X-rays are really not an issue - I have a hip joint problem so have had plenty, never even occurred to me to worry about that having any impact on cancer risk. Please do get help with the anxiety too, and stay away from 'Doctor Google'

Do you really think it would be better if he had swallowed a battery and you didn't bother doing anything about it?

I'd direct your thoughts towards battery-proofing your house tbh. It shouldn't really be possible for a battery to be 'missing'. Assuming you mean a button battery, I'd get rid of anything that can't be securely fastened eg with a screwdriver

You’re more likely to get cancer from your television than an occasional X-Ray if they weren’t safe and gave everyone cancer they wouldn’t do so many of them now would they?
Stop looking for worries where they don’t exist OP you’ll drive yourself mental, look after your children instead.

Apparently the banana aisle at the supermarket emits more radiation than an X-ray (I was once told by the GP, I’m not googling it, I’m happy accepting this 😝)

How would your son have got hold of the battery, OP? Was this scenario likely or realistic?

My daughter had had probably 12 -15 xrays by the time she was 2.5 (hip dysplasia and a broken leg). You need to get your anxiety under control. Go snd see your GP.

I'm inclined to agree that the most concerning aspect is that you took your dc to have x-rays for something that you knew didn't actually happen.
If I've understood this correctly?

You need more support with your anxiety to prevent this happening again. Have you had any successes in the past with medication or therapy?

Did you find the battery afterwards? Or is it still missing, lying somewhere for your toddler to actually swallow. Please make sure it's not still a danger.

You need urgent urgent help for your anxiety OP.

The x-rays won't hurt your toddler. The amount of radiation is miniscule. Lower than taking a plane ride somewhere.

But most people wouldn't be unable to find a battery and assume their toddler ate it and taken them straight to A&E for xrays.

Parenting will be anxious. They're going to lick the floor, eat dirt, want to play on monkey bars and do stuff at school when you're not around. You need help to cope with your intrusive thoughts, if your anxiety prevents them doing normal things it will hold them back and make them a much more anxious and fearful child. You'll pass your health anxiety on, and you don't want to put your toddler through what you experience daily with your anxiety.

You love your child, clearly an incredible amount, get some help for them.

The issue is no more an x-ray than it was DS swallowing a battery. The issue is health anxiety which is an absolute beast.

It is not your fault. You need to dedicate time for yourself to find what will alleviate this. I would start with the GP but it might be that lifestyle changes might help. For me, it's yoga, sleep and healthy eating. For you it could be walking, reading and running. This is a mental health issue.

For context my DS had a chest x-ray for chest pain. I haven't thought about the radiation potential since.

Just to add, while I do think you should seek help, that extremely heavy weight of responsibility that is parenting does get easier. Every time they get sick, you see them get well and every time they hurt themselves you see them heal. Exposure does make it easier. The first time DS had a temperature I slept on the floor in his room. Now, many, many temperatures down the line, I am much more able to find perspective.

You need to see your GP and get your anxiety under control.

You took your child for medical attention when you were nearly certain that the event didn't happen.

You are now fretting madly over the cancer risk from an x-ray. That risk is absolutely teeny tiny. X-rays are used thousands of times a day in hospitals all over the world with no problems. Doctors certainly aren't in the business of of giving their patients cancer.

Plenty of us have had multiple x-rays for many reasons. I include myself in that as I have a badly broken right arm which is a non-union fracture and held together by metal plates. It has been x-rayed many times. I have also had to have chest x-rays on several occasions for a variety of reasons.

I can assure you that, years later, I am still here, with no ill effects whatsoever from the x-rays themselves.

I think this sounds like an anxiety issue with you. Perhaps speak to your gp about jt as parenthood is quite the ride x

This. Trust me, you would not be able to live with the guilt if this was the case.

Forget about the x rays, no danger there.

With the battery - do you mean you actually knew he hadn't swallowed it (e.g. it was in a place he never could have accessed) or were you just not sure? Don't think it's unreasonable to get checked if you truly thought there was a chance he could have swallowed it.

What?!? Would you have rather he ate a battery and you did nothing?!?

As a mother you did the right course of action, what was the alternative have him swallow a battery and all the “good” that will come from that?!?! Give your head a wobble and be grateful modern medicine meant you didn’t have to discover what would have happened if he ate the battery

Health anxiety is a horrible thing so if it calmed you from going to pieces, then medical reassurance at A & E was important. Now you need to work on addressing you OTT reactions to injuries because your son will have plenty more dramas whilst growing up.
I'm no doctor, by an xray or two wouldn't worry me. Those contrast dyes and heavy metals in CT and MRI scans would though.

If you was concerned your child had swallowed a battery then you did the right thing by going to get it checked out. Then by default you should not feel guilty about the x-ray as that is the only way to know for sure.
We are surrounded by naturally occurring radiation all the time. And the dosages of x-ray radiation are calculated to use as little as possible to make sure it's as safe as it can be.