Is that X-ray really necessary? Your child's previous imaging tests could change the equation.

RODALE NEWS, EMMAUS, PA—High-tech imaging like CT and nuclear medicine scans, radiographic peeks into the heart, and even X-rays are medical miracles that can help save lives. But it’s not clear what long-term effects all this medical radiation may have on growing children, who get exposed to an average of seven radiology procedures before age 18, according to a 2011 study of children and medical radiation in the Archives of Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine. “The scientific literature doesn’t tell us yet whether medical imaging raises cancer risks in children, so we take the position that doctors should act cautiously as if it does,” says Marilyn J. Goske, MD, professor of radiology at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and chair of the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging.

Balancing a need for medical imaging against the risk of too much radiation exposure can be a challenge for parents and doctors. Here are ways Dr. Goske suggests to figure out whether your child should undergo or skip an imaging procedure:

• Ask questions. How will imaging help my child? Will the results of the imaging test change what you do? If pictures won’t influence treatment decisions (including a decision not to do something), it may be worth it to consider a different approach.

• Seek alternatives. Ultrasound, for example, doesn’t use radiation, but might be useful in young children whose bodies are still small enough for sound waves to penetrate deeply. See a radiologist who works with kids. He or she may be better at keeping your child relaxed and still as the image is taken, resulting in a clear image that doesn’t have to be redone.

• Keep track. It can be difficult to remember the what-where-when of every imaging procedure your children undergo, especially when multiple doctors and/or emergency room visits are involved. The Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging offers a free wallet card that you can download and print out to help you keep track. If your doctor knows an image already exists, she might not order another. If she does, comparing a new image with the older test can make the new one more informative.