Is Radiation from an X-ray Safe for My Child? (2024)

What Are X-rays?

X-rays are the most common imaging test. They allow physicians to see bones and organs within your child’s body. An X-ray is quick, painless and safe, especially when compared to other methods of examining bones and internal organs.

No radiation remains in the body once the exam is complete.Radiationis a beam that is sent only when the machine is turned on. X-ray beams, a form of radiation, pass quickly through a specific body part and strike a special film plate on the other side of that body part. A black and white image of inside the body is created on the film plate that can then be viewed by our pediatric radiologists.

Your child will not feel the X-ray beam itself, but may feel uncomfortable or awkward because of the way he or she must sit, stand or move a body part for a few seconds while the X-ray is taken. It’s important to hold still during an X-ray because any movement can cause the image to be blurry.

Depending on which body part is being X-rayed, your child may also have a heavy apron made of lead placed on the body to help decrease the radiation exposure to areas not imaged. If a parent is with the child in the exam room while an X-ray is being taken, he or she will also be asked to wear a lead apron as an extra precaution against exposure to the X-ray beam.