“Is an MRI of the brain safe for children?”
The doctor has asked us to do an MRI scan for my child. Is there an alternative to this test? Can MRI radiation be harmful to my child?
4 Answers
MRIs are very safe and do NOT use radiation. CT scans do use radiation. The MRI would not be dangerous at all. I hope that all is well for your child.
MRI is safe for children, as it does not consist of radiation.
MRI stands for magnetic resonance imaging. It involves radiofrequency waves, but no ionizing radiation like X-rays or CT do. The RF waves are safe for children, but make a lot of noise.
An MRI scan has no radiation. The other commonly done scan (a CT scan) does have radiation. Depending on the clinical reasons for the scan, doctors prefer MR scans for children precisely because they do not expose the child to radiation. On the other hand, because an MR scan can take a long time, children may need to be sedated to hold still for the MR scan
