MRI For My 1 Year Old

My first daughter had an MRI at just a few days old and I wasn't with her when they did it but her future CAT scans and hospitalizations I was there for and the worst part is when they get an IV. You can ask to leave the room if you think it will be too much, my husband and I always left the room for them. Once the sedative takes effect they are fine. Sedatives can make a person nauseous and he may be a little groggy and irritable when he comes around. Where is the MRI being done? I live in the Charleston, SC area and we had ours done at MUSC's Children's hospital. I would request that it be done at a hospital where they specialize in pediatric care or have a pediatric nurse there to do the IV because there IS a difference in getting an IV into a one year old and doing an adult. There is a certain amount of patience that a pediatric nurse will have that one that doesn't regularly deal with infants and toddlers will. Hopefully everything comes out ok. The one thing I can say is that if you do have to have further testing or get informed that there is something more going on that you become VERY informed and ask all the questions you can. You are your child's best advocate, don't let anyone make you think you're being overprotective or hysterical for asking questions and being concerned.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi A.,

I know that this is a stressful time, but hang in there. My daughter had developmental delays and she had to have a sedated MRI at 3 1/2 months. I was nervous but we went to Scottish Rite (a children's hospital) and the doctor and technicians were very competent and caring. I was able to stand outside the chamber and watch through a window, and then they immediately brought her out to me. We continued seeing the neurologist until she was about 2 yrs. old, and she eventually "caught up" to "normal".

I am praying for you and your family.

1 mom found this helpful

Hi A.,
I definitely understand what you are going through.
My daughter just turned 2 on Friday and she was diagnosed at 18mos w/Developmental Hip Dysplasia she had to undergo an MRI & they wanted to use sedation which I was not crazy about, ended up trying to do w/out sedation & it was a nightmare. A friend of mine suggested an open MRI unit facility we had in town, & it was a much better experience. I waited until around her nap time & then gave her a dose of Motrin waited for her to fall asleep and she slept the whole way through. The Dr. was very pleased with her results from the open MRI & she didn't have to fast for it!
I am not sure where you are located but you may be able to call around and find an imaging place where they provide the open unit.
There is no need to use sedation at that age if you don't have to.
Hope this helps,
A. C.

Hi A.,

You might also want to have him evaluated by an Occupational Therapist to see if he has Sensory Processing Disorder. My daughter has this and it affects her balance a great deal. She was a late walker, at least independently and usually runs instead of walks and frequently runs into things or trips and falls. I'm not saying to cancel the MRI, but I would also look into SPD and see if your son has any other symptoms. There is a great book called The Out-of-Sinc Child written by Carol Stock Kranowitz. Also, if you google Sensory Processing Disorder you'll find lots of sites with info. Look for vestibular issues in particular since.

Good luck!
G.

Our daughter has had 2 MRIs (she is 4 years old). The worst part for us was getting the IV, but after that it was a piece of cake. She has terrible veins, so that is the only reason the IV is so hard. Usually, they put in the IV, you take your child back to the MRI and get them laying down. The medicine they've used with our daughter is a white, milky medicine that immediately puts them to sleep. It's incredible to watch! You leave the room, they do the MRI, and then they bring your child back to you. It takes maybe 1/2 an hour for the MRI. It takes 1/2 hour or so for your child to wake up. They make sure he can drink and then they send you home. The hardest part for me is always waiting for the results!

If it is a developmental problem, you'll probably be referred to Babies Can't Wait for physical therapy. It's amazing what can happen with therapy. Please let me know if you have any other questions about the MRI. I hope it goes well!

I work in radiology and can assure you that MRI is extremely safe. Since the machine operates with magnets, your child will not have any risk of radiation. The sedation is necessary because your son needs to lay very still to obtain the images. Any slight movement and they become blurry. Give credit to your doctor for recognizing the problem and ordering the MRI. This will help properly diagnose your son. Good luck!

Hi A.. I know exactly how you feel. My 5 year old has had a MRI every 3 months for the past 2 1/2 years and he is sedated every time. As a mom it is unnerving and I am nervous every time. I wish I had some words of wisdom to ease the anxiety. The only thing I know is to pray. I pray for angels to surround us at each one. Good luck and I will be praying for you.
If you happen to be at Egleston they are great down there! They have all helped us comfort my son!

I don't have experience with what your son's going through but I do have experience with MRIs. They're pretty loud and you have to stay still the whole time and they last quite a while so that explains having to sedate a child. MRI is a good diagnostic tool -- but there are many others. I hope the doctors are able to diagnose and solve your son's issue quickly. I also know what it's like to worry about your child's health -- my heart goes out to you!

Hi A.,
My 2 year old had to go through a MRI since he was tilting his head after a long ear infection. He had to be sedated to and I was a bit anxious about that at the moment. They do sedate the little ones to make sure they do not jump out of the position they are in and would by laying still. The sedation they used for my son was given through IV and was very brief. It took effect right away, they put him on the bed that goes into the MRI device and he was all in all asleep for 10 min. As soon as the MRI was over and they put him on a different bed, he woke up. They have no idea of where they were for those 10 min. It feels like they had a short nap.
All the best with your son.

If the sinus, inner ear problem has been ruled out, you may not have any choice. These should have been ruled out before an MRI. At 15 months, it is difficult, but AF has some good doctors, usually better than Civilians. I've been thru some good doctors & bad w/AF and civilian life. My 2 children didn't have to go thru an MRI but had sinus/allergy and constant ear infections, with no problem walking.

Hi A.,
I cannot help with the MRI - but I may be able to help with another angle? Have you had your son tested with an Occupational Therapist for sensory and vestibular imbalences? My son's OT (www.floortimeatlanta.com) was able to help him tremendously with vestibular problems as well as other ones that came with it. Later, we did lots more work to heal the body so he did not have the problems anymore, but that is a later subject.
Sincerely, J.

A., My child has had several MRIs since he was 12mos/9 mos adjusted. They just sedate them, they are not intubated or anything. The hardest part for me is always watching my child being put to sleep, and he has had lots of surgeries as well. If you don't think you are strong enough to watch your baby suddenly be asleep, have someone else take him back. A PP stated that the procedure itself doesn't take that long and this is true, and with the little ones, they send them home pretty quickly, but he may be sleepy, and more clumsy for the rest of the day.

My son has several developmental delays, due to his extreme prematurity. For example, he didn't walk until he was 23 mos. You can call Babies Can't Wait and make a referral yourself. They will evaluate your child and determine if he is elligible for services. We were with Babies Can't Wait from the time my son was 10 mos until he turned 3. Now he gets services through the school system. You just have to be prepared to be your own child's advocate.

Good Luck!

A.
i may not be much help here. i was kinda looking at tv and this older twin was Falling/ walking in to walls and stoped working all to getgher. thay did mri 2 or 3 times befor it showed up but i dont remeber what it was. i just remeber that in ended good. but it could of been found sooner.With a better doc. mom and dad looked it up on the web.And one child had same thing but set up diff.
one of them on doc. t.v. shows last week or week befor. get the m.r.i. 52 year old mom grand mom good luck

I can't respond to the MRI, but my mom told me I did similar things at that age before I was diagnosed with dyslexia. You may want to do some testing to rule that out or in.

Oh, I know how worried you must be!! Im sorry for your situation. There is no heartache like a heartache from the worry of a child.
My son had several but he was a baby. I was petrified too because he had heart issues and breathing issues and had a hard time recovering from one of his surgeries so I was scared to put him under. It really is okay. They do sedate him but believe me, you want him to be sedated. Its pretty daunting. Hold your breath and know that they are doing what they need to do to help your son and figure out what is going on.
Just to let you know, my son is now 7 years old and has no development issues whatsoever and allllll of the Dr.s told us he would from all of his apnea. They were sure he would have some sort of brain issues. He doesnt. So try, as hard as it is, to stay positive. My son had all the odds against him and he is okay. He is a miracle!!
They are all such amazing resilient little angels!!
goodluck!

My daughter had one before she turned one year old. She was born with a hemangioma ( looks like a hematoma at the base of her spine) Her pedatrician wanted to rule out spinal cord defect. They will put your little one to sleep usually with Chloral Hydrate a liquid to make them sleep during the procedure. Although I am a nurse, it still does not take away the fear you have and the feelings you will go through when u see your angel in the MRI machine. I remember it like it was yesterday and it was 8 years ago. By the way destiny is fine and the test all came out with no prodblems detected. Just pray and be strong and you will get thru it. By the way most people have to be sedated for an MRI because for them to get good images you have to be completely still which is very hard for anyone to do. I hope this helps. Pray and be positive. Take Care.

A.,

My little girl had MRI's when she was very young due to seizures. I know it can be very frightening but sometimes is necessary. Are you going to a pediatric neurologist? I used one up on the north side of Atlanta called child neurology along with Scottish Rite hospital. Also there is a great new children's hospital at Emory. Make sure you are comfortable with the doctors and nurses. That can make a BIG difference in how you feel about all of it. It's probably easier on your baby to be sedated than to be awake during the testing. They will keep a close eye on him! I was even allowed to stay in the room while they performed the test. Check ahead of time and see what their policy is. I hope and pray all goes well for you.
K.
www.balterbaby.com

Hi A.,
Have you ever tried Chiropractic treatment for him? His ped or neurologist may say his ears are fine but it could be the underlying cervical spine that is causing this. If he is misaligned, which happens at birth and anytype of life events, it will cause pressure in his ear canal which inturn leads to loss of balance. This doesnt always show inflammation and his ears dont have to hurt. Any route, I would certainly try this much less invasive procedure before putting him through the MRI. Its always best to start least invasive before going to such an extreme. If you need more advice on chiropractic and children please let me know. Best of luck to you guys!