MRI for Children

In most cases, one or both parents are allowed to stay in the examining room with the child if they want. While in the room you can speak with the technologist at any time through an intercom. Parents, too, must have no metal in their bodies - parents with pacemakers, for example, are not allowed in the room. You'll also need to leave your wallet and your watch outside (MRI can erase the magnetic strip on your credit cards!) and empty your pockets.

Tests such as this are vitally important to diagnose and help manage your child's health problems. The MRI exam will be interpreted by a radiologist, who will report the findings to your doctor. You may discuss the results with your doctor.

Please feel free to ask the technologist or radiologist about any part of the test you don't understand. Presbyterian has the best interest of your child at heart, and we want to be sure all your questions are answered.

How Should I Prepare for This Test?

Because of the magnetic field, it will be necessary to remove any metal objects such as jewelry, hairpins, glasses, removable dental plates and any clothing with metal clips or parts. The child may need to wear a hospital gown.

We also need to know if your child has any metal device inside his or her body. Metal devices might include a heart valve, a cochlear implant in the ear, any screws or plates for broken bones or rods for scoliosis. Or, an accident may have caused small pieces of metal to be mbedded in the body. If you're not sure whether there's any metal in your child's body, please talk with us about it. Sometimes an -ray can be taken to look for metal if you're not sure.

What Will Happen During the Test?

First, your child will lie down on a examinig table. The table will be rolled into a long tunnel in the middle of the MRI machine. Sometimes a special dye that helps the body's structures show up better will be injected into a vein, probably in the arm. Then machine will then proceed to take pictures. It makes a loud clicking or tapping sound as it works. Ear plugs are available for those who want them. It's essential that your child lie very still for the test.

Claustrophobia (fear of enclosed spaces) can sometimes be a problem. If it is, sedation may help the child to relax. The MRI exam is considered harmless, and except for the injection, it's completely painless.

How Long Will the Test Last?

It may take an hour or longer. If your child can't lie still, the radiologist may give an oral or intravenous sedative to let your child sleep. Depending on the kind of sedative chosen, it may take an hour to work and then may take another hour after the test for your child to wake up. So be prepared to spend some time in the X-Ray Department if it becomes necessary.