Paediatric radiology

The specialty has to take in account the dynamics of a growing body, from preterm infants to large adolescents, where the organs follow growth patterns and phases.

For imaging departments which specialise in paediatric radiology, rooms can be tailored to suit a child's needs.

However, there is a much higher radiation dose from CT scans than from the traditional radiographs and fluoroscopy tests that radiologists perform and interpret.

CT scans provide in general more information about the anatomy and diseases in the body but could be replaced for some orthopedic indications by other low-dose imaging modalities like EOS.

Longitudinal studies led by the National Academy of Sciences in the United States have shown increased cancer rates in this population that are dose dependent.

From these data, modelling research suggests that even at the lower doses used in medical imaging, there may be an added risk of cancer.

The paediatric radiology and medical community has long had an awareness of this issue and has developed radiation protection policies and practices that reflect this.

An educational resource for health care providers as well as patients and parents is the Image Gently web site started in 2008.

A call to action has been published advocating a reduction of ionising radiation exposure to children by delivering the right imaging exam, the right way with the right dose.