"Mamma, I am too scared to go there,” can often be the worried tone expressed by children when they have to go for a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scan.
But thanks to an MRI Fun day at The James Cook University Hospital, an inflatable scanner has been helping to prepare young children for their scans.
Following extensive feedback from parents, the radiology department organised a special fun day for paediatric patients on Saturday 5 July, from 11am to 4pm, at the children’s outpatients department in James Cook.
The fun day included a variety of games and activities for children to get involved in, alongside the installation of an inflatable MRI scanner for the day, which simulates the real-life experience of what it’s like for little ones undergoing an MRI scan.
The inflatable scanner is a less imposing way to help children overcome their anxieties, while giving them a chance to practice lying still, before they enter a real MRI scanner.
Too often, children can be scared of getting an MRI scan for a variety of reasons, including a risk of claustrophobia, loud and repetitive noises and lack of understanding – to name a few.
This has also led to instances where children have had to be sedated, for it to be safe enough for the scan to go ahead.
Several parents who attended the event noticed a positive impact on their children after being exposed to the inflatable scanner – praising how their kids were more prepared and stress-free.
MRI lead Joanne Smith said: “We were extremely pleased that we could get an inflatable MRI scanner for our paediatric patients.
We have often seen that children are quite anxious about getting an MRI scan for various reasons. But thanks to the inflatable MRI scanner, many young children and their parents could see what it’s like to get a scan in a safe and fun way, and it has helped to put their minds at ease.”
Ollie Smith, ten, was one of the children who attended and had the chance to have a look around the inflatable scanner.
He was scared the MRI machine would make him claustrophobic.
His mum, Paulina Smith said: “The inflatable MRI scanner made a big difference in helping Ollie and it was worth coming to the MRI Fun Day.”
