{"id":285,"date":"2018-08-02T11:03:24","date_gmt":"2018-08-02T11:03:24","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.starimagingindia.com\/contact\/?p=285"},"modified":"2018-10-08T10:33:52","modified_gmt":"2018-10-08T05:03:52","slug":"how-to-prepare-your-child-for-mri-scan","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/BI-Course24-Registration\/how-to-prepare-your-child-for-mri-scan\/","title":{"rendered":"How to Prepare Your Child for an MRI"},"content":{"rendered":"

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If your child needs to have an MRI, you must be apprehensive about how they\u2019ll react to this test. Don\u2019t worry,\u00a0we have some suggestions on how you can handle this experience in the most stress-free way possible.<\/p>\n

Depending on how old your child is, they\u2019ve probably already asked you some questions about what happens during the procedure. We\u2019ve seen that it\u2019s always better to prep them in advance, ideally a few days before the procedure.<\/p>\n

Here are some steps to keep in mind to help them (and you) prepare:<\/p>\n

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Explain what is going to happen - in simple terms<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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Honesty is the best policy here \u2013 we encourage you to be as open and transparent about the procedure \u2013 but explain it in a way that your child can grasp the concept.<\/p>\n

To explain what an MRI scanner is, you can liken it to a big camera that takes a picture of the insides of their body, using a powerful magnet (like the one on the fridge, but much bigger) and radio waves (like the sounds coming out of the radio).
Show them a picture of the machine and explain that they\u2019ll have to lie very still inside, just like when their picture is taken with the camera, so that the machine can take a good picture.<\/p>\n

Remember to reassure them on the pain-free aspect \u2013 an MRI scan doesn\u2019t hurt at all, but there may be some loud sounds and whirring noises. However, the nurse will give them headphones or earplugs which should muffle the sound.<\/p>\n

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Answer questions as accurately as possible<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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Your child may be wondering how long the procedure will take or may ask how they will feel after the test. One way to reassure them is to call the doctor together and have all the doubts cleared. Depending on whether or not a sedative is administered, and whether the scan requires fasting, you can say that they will feel totally normal or that they may feel sleepy or hungry.<\/span><\/p>\n

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Find a centre that makes the experience less intimidating\/claustrophobic<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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Kids find traditional MRI machine big and scary. Often, many kids also find the MRI tunnel claustrophobic. At Star Imaging, our 3T MRI scanner offers an\u00a0ambient experience<\/a>\u00a0and lets patients see movies\/cartoons while getting a scan done. This has helped many young and adult patients alike, feel more comfortable, and has even done away with the need for sedation in over 90% of the cases.<\/p>\n

However, if your child is very young, or is finding it hard to lie still, they may have to be sedated. In this case, make sure the centre has a qualified anaesthetist who is always at hand to monitor the dose and ensure your child\u2019s comfort \u2013 remember, this is of utmost importance.<\/p>\n

To make the experience more comfortable – call your child\u2019s imagination into play and turn the MRI scan into a game \u2013 ask them to pretend they\u2019re playing pirates or cops and robbers and need to be quiet and still as they go into the machine. Also, take a favourite toy to keep them occupied while they wait (if it\u2019s metallic it may not be allowed into the MRI room, though).<\/p>\n

In addition, to provide further reassurance, you can request the doctors\/nurses to allow you to accompany your child inside the MRI room in order to talk to them or hold their hand during the duration of the scan.<\/p>\n

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Give them something to look forward to after the procedure<\/h5>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section>
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Every child will have specific concerns or fears about this procedure. You know your child best and will know how to reassure them. It\u2019s always nice to plan a small treat after the procedure \u2013 going out for ice cream or watching a movie at home \u2013 that will give them something fun to look forward to.<\/p>\n

Important note<\/em><\/strong>: Before the scan, do make sure your child has no metallic item on their body \u2013 as mentioned before, the MRI scanner consists of a powerful magnet \u2013 hence taking metallic objects inside the room can be dangerous, and even fatal.<\/p>\n

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About Star Imaging<\/h2>
Star Imaging is Pune\u2019s leading centre for paediatric imaging. For more information on 3T MRI, 128 Slice CT and other scans, feel free to reach out to us.<\/div><\/div>
Book an Appointment <\/a><\/div>\n<\/div>\n<\/div><\/div><\/div><\/div><\/section><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":475,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[21,23],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-285","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-child-healthcare","category-mri-and-ct-scan"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/BI-Course24-Registration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/BI-Course24-Registration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/BI-Course24-Registration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/BI-Course24-Registration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/BI-Course24-Registration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=285"}],"version-history":[{"count":16,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/BI-Course24-Registration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":740,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/BI-Course24-Registration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/285\/revisions\/740"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/BI-Course24-Registration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/475"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/BI-Course24-Registration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=285"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/BI-Course24-Registration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=285"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/starimagingindia.com\/BI-Course24-Registration\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=285"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}