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Overuse of medical radiation on American children?

infants and children are at higher risk for tumors because their developing tissues are more sensitive to radiation,

U.S. Kids Getting Lots of Radiation Scans, Study Finds, Bloomberg, Jan. 4 – Exposure to radiation from medical imaging procedures such as X-rays and CT scans has become common among American children, a new 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, particularly in children.

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

For the study, 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 start of 2005 through the end of 2007.

In that time, 42 percent of the children had a scan that used radiation, the study 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.

About 25 percent of the children had two or more scans, and 16 percent had three or more.

Most of the imaging procedures — nearly 85 percent — were X-rays, but CT scans accounted for about 12 percent. Scans of the head were the most common type of CT scan that was administered to children in the study.

“That’s particularly concerning,” Dorfman told the Associated Press. “Today’s children are undoubtedly getting many more of these studies than previous generations.”

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

January 10, 2011 - Posted by Christina Macpherson | health, USA