U.S. Kids Getting Lots of Radiation Scans, Study Finds

Exposure to radiation from medical imaging procedures such as X-rays and CT scans has become general among American children, a latest study has found, prompting researchers to call for steps to be taken to ensure appropriate use of the tests to protect children.

Increasing use of diagnostic imaging has led to concerns about radiation exposure. Although X-rays emit relatively little radiation, CT scans emit more and may raise the risk for cancer, mainly in children.

Compared with adults, infants and children are at top risk for tumors because their developing tissues are more sensitive to radiation, the researchers noted.

For the research, Dr. Adam Dorfman, of the University of Michigan Medical School in Ann Arbor and his colleagues looked at the health insurance records of 355,088 children and teens younger than 18 for a three-year period, from the begin of 2005 through the end of 2007.

In that time, 42 percent of the children had a scan that used radiation, the research found. Most of the 436,711 imaging procedures were done on children older than 10, but infants 2 years or younger also were given scans.