Children Having Mri's

I just had an mri on my head and it was a super relaxing experience. Explain the process to her, that it's peaceful, and calm, and that she'll feel exactly the same in the tunnel as she does standing on her own feet.

Hi J.,

It's never really easy to go through these things with your children, but just let her know they have to take special pictures and a lot of kids have the same thing done. I would be honest with her and tell her the truth about MRI's that they can be loud and it's nothing to be scared of that it is just part of the machine and you will be right there every step of the way. I would reward her with a big prize afterwards! Hope everything goes well and be strong the less you feel worried, the easier it is going to be on her. Are you having it done at a big hospital like UCLA???? I suggest UCLA for any type of situation you have with Health issues. All my best, T.

Hi J.,
My son just had an MRI at childrens hospital also age 8 after he was diagnosed with Leukemia. I was nervous because I didn't know anything about it either. Here is the deal: She will be in the tube for about 20 minutes or so probably. It looks like a space shuttle so I played on that and said he was going to be like an astronaut going into space. It is extremely loud so they had us both where thick headphones. They put music on for him to listen to. I was allowed to stand at the end of the tube and hold his feet to hopefully prevent him from moving too much as they have to lay very still. When the series of clicks and sounds went it was nerve wracking at first but then there began to be pattern so I started doing stupid dances and thumbs up signs with my hands and I think that made him get through it with a little smile cause he could see my face and hands.
My niece has had a couple of MRIS her first one at age 4 when she had a brain tumor removed successfully. My son is in remission already after 6 months of hell. What do they think your daughter has? Hope this all helps, it will be over before you know it, take a special blanket in with her too.

Hi J.. I am a Ped ER RN and my Hubby is a specialist in MRI. I was thinking about your question and read some of the responses below. Having an MRI is not so bad but yes you do have to hold darn still. Do you know if it is an "open" or a "closed" MRI machine? That can make a big difference in itself. I would suggest maybe a pre-trip to the facility just to check it out and meet the technologist that will be scanning her. That right there may make all the difference. She'll see it is just a silly machine with a table to lay on. Many have earphones and things so she can listen to music or communicate with the technologist. You should also request to stay in the room with her, you can keep your hand on her leg or if it is an open scanner just be right there more likely holding her hand. If a child gets too nervous and can not hold still they do have things they can to to relax them, but it is our (as professionals) first choice to do it without any medications. If there is anything I would tell you that she should really know is a couple things, an MRI is a gigantic MAGNET that moves and helps make a picture of what your inside looks like. It is very cool so, knowing what a magnet it should make it less scary. One other thing is, is that it can be noisy. The darn thing as it is moving can make a loud sort of clanking noise. It isn't so bad, it is just that you think during it, I wish this noise would stop. But like I said hopefully they will have headphones and she can listen to her favorite music. Sometimes you can bring in your own cd so ask before going. And like one other lady suggested, she if they will show her her own scan when she is done. IT IS REALLY NEAT and I bet she'll love that! Well good luck to you and really this will go so smoothly you won't believe it!!!

J. my advice is to have your child given meds. to relax her I was anti meds.for my son so we had to go back a second time. The child has to remain extremely still for 20 min. which is a very difficult thing to do for my 7 yr.son. The frist time we we they were unable to get the right pictures because he moved because I refused the meds.

I don't have experience with this kind of thing, but I would suggest singing, I don't know if she can sing out loud or if this can only be in her head. Learn some fun easy ones, some spiritual ones. Then tell her that she has to sing them in a surtain order and you will be singing them in your head too. Then afterwards compare where you each got to. Or to just sing one or two and how many times each of you sang each song. Make a small prize at the end for the one who sang the songs the most times. Kids are great with games & always want to win. This way her mind will be on something else Like Winning not the scary situation.
Also talk to her about her fears now. (What's the scariest thing to her) and try to answer any questions you can about it. If you don't know the answer ask the doctor before she goes in to explain things better to help easy her mind. If she sees that you are concerned for her fears and are trying to make it better she will be more comfortable.
Good Luck! I hope the results are good and give you the answers you need to make things better. JP

My son had that done. They had him take this liquid by mouth, to make him sleepy. But you have to keep him up late that night so it would work faster. ask your dr. about it. or they can do a IV on her. or bring music and they will play it for her they put head phones on the kids.
Thank you
M.

Unfortunately, I've had numerous MRIs due to back problems. The first thing you need to do is be completely honest with her about what it will be like. She will have to put on a gown, or wear sweats or other outfit without any metal or metal zippers. She will have to lie perfectly still for quite a while. It will be very noisy. They will give her ear plugs, or some hospitals have headphones she can wear and play music. It will not hurt. But the contrast will require an injection, and they may put in an IV so they can inject the contrast easily.

You might want to ask the doctor about giving her a sedative to calm her fears. There also is something they call Conscious Sedation. And if all else fails, they can use general anesthesia (I had to have that once due to pain from my injury.} I know it is really scary to have your child go throught this. I raised two myself. But if you can stay a calm as possible it will help her. Encourage her to talk about it.

My daughter had an MRI at 5 years old; I was very concerned about fear etc. I can tell you that the technicians who handle MRIs for children are very adept at calming them and preparing them for the procedure. They are given head phones and a movie to watch. It's usually all they need. The big key, of course, is keeping them very still. I was allowed to stand next to the machine and hold onto my daughters legs (she went in head-first with her lower legs outside) - I soothed her, stroked her ankles, etc. Other then a few random movements that required some extra retakes, she did great -- I think you'll find it's a lot less stressful than you fear. I did!! Best of luck.

My son Logan who is 6 has migraines and therefore he had an MRI w/contrast. So that he would not be scared when the time came I told him all about my own experiences with MRI's. I told him what the machine looked like, the noises that it made and how I had to stay really still or they would have to do it all over again. He was prepared when the day came and acted like it wasn't any big deal.
OH before it was done I asked the tech. if Logan would be able to see his brain when we were done. This was the best part of it all because he couldn't wait to see what he looked like on the inside.
It will be fine as long as you don't make it into a bigger deal. You child will feed off your emotions and as long as you are cool your child will be as well.

Best of Luck!
P.

Aloha J.,

My daughters are involved in a study by the University of Hawaii that involves MRI's among other testing. The study involves following 3 & 4 year olds for 5 years. This year was their second year of the study, their first year when they were 3.

The most important thing about doing MRI's is that they keep their head still while their brain was being scanned. At Queen's Hospital, here in Honolulu, the MRI machines are equiped with movie projectors.

I was very impressed at how well my girls went through the MRI. The hospital provided pink princess blankets to keep them warm and I could talk to them in the computer/observation room. They were engaged with their movie and every now and then I would tell them what a great job they were doing.

When one twin was finished, (I got to go in the room to help her onto and off of the machine), she joyfully hopped off the "bed" and said she wanted to do it again!

My other twin has a shorter attention span (they don't get to watch much tv or movies). After about 15 minutes into the MRI she had enough of the movie and wanted to come out. We had to take a break, go have some lunch and try again. Well, after lunch she agreed to try again, and this time she simply fell asleep in the "tunnel".

This year it was a little more difficult. The projector was broken so they couldn't see the movie, only hear it. It was harder to keep their little heads still. But they made it through.

I would ask to see if the MRI is equiped with a projector. Queen's Hospital had movies for us to select from, but we were also allowed to bring our own in as well. I prepared the girls by talking about what would be happening and that I would be there with them. I tried to make it sound as fun as possible (they were going to ride on a bed that goes up and down, go into a tunnel, watch a movie, wear head phones like daddy's ones, etc.) I would imagine it would be even easier with an 8 year old that can better understand what you're talking about. Oh, and I also told them that if they stayed really still, we would go to the store and get a prize afterwards (book, stuffed animal, etc.) But an ice cream would have done the trick too, anything small/simple that might motivate your daughter.

One other thing, (which may be obvious to you, but didn't occur to me), make sure that you and your daughter have no metal on. The MRI machine has an extremely powerful magnet and you won't be allowed into the room with any kind of metal. I made sure my girl's clothing didn't have metal snaps, metalic glitter, no metal hair clips, jewelry, etc. Same for me so I could go in the room with them to help them get situated.

Good luck with your daughter's MRI! I hope all goes well and that you have positive results and that nothing is wrong. My prayers are with you.

I've had a few MRIs. As an adult (with migraines) the noise was what bothered me the most. If you are unable to get a child frienly staff and machine she'll benifit from all the preperations that you can give her. She'll go into an enclosed space on a hard bed in a cold room. The strong magnets will spin around her secured head and there will be a rhythmic pounding noise. You need to do everything you can to be available in the room with her. If she gets scared or needs to be distracted a book, song or guided imagry may help.

Don't go into this expecting her to be freaked out. You don't want her to think that she should be afraid. If you can make it fun and interesting she may enjoy the process. You could even take this opportunity to give her a science lesson about magnets.

J., I'm a bit older than your daughter, but can have and MRI done once a year or sometimes every 6 months. What helps me is that they allow me to take my favorite CD to listen to while I'm having the test done because you hear very loud clacking noises, and I close my eyes the whole time I'm in the machine just concentrating on the music as much as possible. My test usually take about 45 mins. with and w/out contast. That means they will inject her with a very small amount of dye thru her arm part way thru the test. It won't hurt her if the person putting in the needle is good, just like drawing blood. She'll need to drink plenty of water after the test to absore the dye. No big deal. If she is afraid of being in inclosed spaced tell them and they will give her something to relaxe her. Good luck and I will be praying for you and your resaults.

Hi J.,

I'm a mother of a 10 year old boy and I'm also going on 10 years in my marriage. I just wanted to let you know that I've been in your daughters shoes. I had to get an MRI with and without contrast. It all started when I was 33 yrs old I had seizure and they found a brain tumor which led to brain surgery, and during my situation I had to not trust in myself, I had to trust God. If I trust in myself I would just revert to some type of anxiety. I'm terrified! of MRI's because I feel like I'm closed in and trapped but I had to take a deep breathe and think of something fun and positive and prayed.
Talk with your daughter and reassure her that it's going to be okay. If this is her first time ask the tech whose performing the MRI to let you look at the outside of the machine, when I asked to see how big this machine was, I was just a machine that was compact, it wasn't humongous like I thought it would be and I was calm afterwards. You can also stay in the room with her while it's being performed that's another comforting suggestion for her. Well I hope this was helpful and I want to apologize in advance for any mispelled or misunderstanding sentences I'm doing two things at one time and being distracted by kids. You can email me personally if you want to let me know how it went. ____@____.com

My daughter had both MRI's and CT scans at ages 6 & 8. She thought the MRI was cool because it was taking pictures of her brain and the tech let her see the pictures on the computer when we were done. I usually don't tell her about most appts/ procedures until we're there. Maybe you could try having her lay down and you could take digital pictures of her head to give her practice -- and tell her the real thing is much cooler.

As far as the contrast goes, do you know how it is administered?
I have had to have the iodine dye and it feels weird and leaves a metal taste in the mouth. I don't have any ideas about this part of the deal. Sorry.

My daughter had to have two MRI's in one day at the age of 20 months. The first MRI was really scary for her because she was strapped in and the noise was loud. The second one they had an anethesiologist come and sedate her. She doesn't remember a thing about that one.

I believe that you should walk your daughter through what will happen to her (especially because she is 8). My daughter wasn't able to understand what was happening to her because she was so young (and sick). If you are having it done at Children's Hospital you have nothing to worry about because the staff there knows exactly how to help CHILDREN through the experience. They have such friendly and helpful people there. You might even want to check with the hospital you are going to to see if you and your daughter can have a time to walk through the x-ray room and ask questions about what will happen before her scheduled appointment.

Also, the MRI machine is not what I was expecting. I was expecting that big tube thing that you see on TV. The MRI my daughter had was actually more like a doughnut that spun around her. The bed slid back and forth as the doughnut thing did it's thing. It does make a loud whirring sound, but it doesn't hurt and doesn't take too long. I was even allowed to be in the room with her. Assure your daughter it will be okay.

J.,

I have done many MRIs and have found a few things that help me get through the process. I like bringing a warm cozy blanket from home and making sure I am completely covered inside the tube, most are air conditioned, which can give the chills. I bring a meditative music CD, (some MRIs can pump in the music and that is really helpful, others don't allow the room for the head phones which is a bummer.) For me the key is homeopathic chamomile tablets from Hylands. In our house we call them "all better pill" when someone needs a little help in calming down or relaxing. I pour 3-4 tablets into the cap and pour them right under my tongue (they dissolve immediately in the mouth), every 15 minutes beginning an hour to 45 minutes before the MRI and they help calm me done and take the edge off the nerves and gets me calm enough that I can relax into the rhythm of the pounding. Before it starts I like to go in take a peek so I know what it looks like inside the tube,then I have them pull me out and then I usually put on eye shades so I'm not tempted to look around and start to get claustrophobic. Make sure she goes to the bathroom before you go in, there is nothing as uncomfortable as being told, don't move anything when you've got to go. The contrast is a needle of liquid pushed into an arm vein and that isn't fun to see a needle going into your arm so, I prefer not looking at it, rather talking with my loved one who tries to distract me. Sometimes a little of the dye leeks into the veins and can leave a bruise on the inside of my elbow. I call it my badge of honor. Make sure the staff lets you and her know how long each section of thumping will last , when you think it's almost over and it isn't it begins to get hard to stay still. Also I find it vitally important that someone I love is holding my feet, it sounds funny, but I need to know where I end and that part of me is not stuck in the tunnel. My definition of an MRI is being the filling pumped into a Twinkie. I'm sorry that you have to experience this in this way. It honestly will likely be harder on you than her. The patterns can be fun for a young one. I wish your doctors all the wisdom of all their teachers. And I wish you good luck and A Mother's Strength as you go through this challenging moment in your life.

T.

does she know why she has to have this done? try explianing to her that the drs want to look at her head and brain to make sure everything is going ok. let her know that the proccess wont hurt but she will have to lay very still (so maybe they will let her hold a stuffed bear or something) show her a picture of what the machine looks like and where she gets to lay. it may be hard to calm her anxiousness with this because its new but after she does it once anytime after that may be easier. i really hope this is helpful and that everything checks out A ok

Hi J.,

I have an MRI for my head every year, basically the same thing your daughter will have. Though, I haven't had one here in Las Vegas yet, the place I went always had music for me to listen to through headphones which helped a great deal in passing the time. Your best bet is some level of sedation. If she moves or twitches, it could mess up the process and make it take longer. Also, if she has a doll or some kind of lovey, they may permit her to hold on to it provided there is no metal involved. My daughter had an MRI as a newborn and she was completely sedated with no ill effects. If it is done at a children's hospital, the technicians, nurses and doctors have had loads of experience on how to calm your child and get it overwith quickly. The best thing you can do for her is to not let her see you worry about it or be upset. If you look at it like going for a check up or the dentist (just something that needs to be done), she she will do the same. Good luck.

You can have the doctor who ordered it, or her pediatrician, call you in a small dose of Valium, if she is not allergic to it. It will help her relax and "not really care" as much. I took some before my last MRI, I don't like being in tubes for 45 minutes. Every time I would start to fell anxious, the medication wouldn't "allow" it to happen. It was really the only way I could do it. They also put the fan on inside so it felt like air was circulating. I opted to have my eyes covered with a cloth too, I didn't want to "see" that I was in a tube. The other thing is to have the tech talk to her, which I'm sure they will anyhow. Tell her to think soothing thoughts, like playing on the beach, playing with a friend, whatever she likes a lot......horses, animals, etc. She can come out if she gets really scared or nervous, they will pull her out for a minute, but the bad part is it delays the entire process and sometimes they have to start over. Try to convince her to stay in and stay still....that is why the Valium can be a big help.

First and foremost you have to be calm about the procedure. Your child will pick up on your anxiety. If need be she could be sedated. My grandson just had an MRI done for his knees. He did very well without sedation. It was done at a children's hospital. They took the time to explain the procedure and to let him hear the sounds that the machine would make. He also opted for headphones with piped in music. Call the MRI center ahead of time and ask what the procedure is for children.

Ask about sedation and being able to go in with her typically on children this is an option, especially since it takes a long time and they have to hold really still. My daughter a little younger than your daughter had a couple of MRI's and we took her in to see the machine first and meet the people that were going to be taking care of her. That helped quite a bit. They showed her what they were going to do and what was going to come out of it. She asked if she could see the pictures when they were done and that eased her mind a bit. It also helped because I was in the room with her during the MRI.

I found it helpful to have tests like that done at a children's hospital. They seem better equipped to deal with children's concerns and anxieties. I used CHLA and they have a department of advocates who work with the children. (I want to say they are called Family Life Support but I'm not 100% sure.) They will tell you in advance how to prep the child, what to say and then they come out and sit with you and your child before and during the procedure. Even though her doctor was at Cedars, I took her to CHLA for the tests.

Hi J.,
My daughter had an MRI when she was eight. I think she was more worried about getting a shot because she hates needles. Luckily they were wonderful at Children's Hospital in San Diego. My husband and I decided to go with sedation because we felt she would be too freaked out otherwise. That made me very nervous but I was able to hold her hand until she drifted off to sleep and I was right there when she woke up. The hardest part was going in at the crack of dawn and not being able to eat or drink anything before hand. I made sure I brought a backpack in with lots of things to do while she waited and I brought in her favorite stuffed animal for her to hug. She got a lot of positive attention and encouragement from both me and my husband. She also saw an 18 month old baby that was waiting to have an MRI and that took her mind off of things and made her realize that she was not the only one. Good luck to you and your daughter. I hope everything turns out well for you. S. Y

Knowledge is power for kids- explain to her exactly what is going on. And I read once that a family, to prep their child for an MRI, had them lay down on the kitchen table in the dark while they banged on pots- kind of simulates the experience.