Answer to Question #13331 Submitted to "Ask the Experts"

Category: Medical and Dental Equipment and Shielding — Shielding

The following question was answered by an expert in the appropriate field:

Q

I just recalled an instance several years ago when I held my child during a chest x ray. He was very upset and inconsolable. The technologist offered a lead apron to me and for some reason I declined. I think I was just so focused on calming my child that I didn't think of any risks to myself. Should I be concerned about effects of scatter radiation?

A

I can relate to your situation as I have done the same thing with my own child when she was a toddler. Let me be clear right off the top—you should not be concerned at all for a number of reasons:

  • Chest x rays use an extremely low amount of radiation and are one of the lowest dose procedures in radiology for the patient. The added risk to the patient is essentially zero. 
  • I assume that you were located outside the direct radiation beam. If so, the level of scattered radiation (scattered by your child's body and the image receptor, formerly "film") is far lower even though the distance from your child was not great. I would estimate it was less than 1% of what your child received in this case.
  • Or, if you were seated with your child on your lap and the image receptor between you and your child with you in the x-ray beam, you can be assured that your child's body and the image receptor ("film") cassette also provide some x-ray shielding. That shielding is not as great as being out of the beam but would still result in significant dose reduction.

Either way, the radiation dose I would estimate you received would be similar or less than what you receive from a day of natural background radiation. This is a level that the human body is used to receiving and is adept at dealing with. 

So, if you are wondering, "Why do they offer the lead apron if the doses are so low?" It really goes back to the concept of "risk vs. benefit" and when there is no benefit, then "prudent avoidance." For your child, there was medical benefit in getting the x ray done. But for you there is no medical benefit from holding your child during the procedure so we typically wear protective aprons to avoid or minimize the radiation. 

In summary, please do not be concerned about the extremely small amount of scattered radiation you may have received while holding you child during a chest x-ray procedure. The risk from a single instance such as the situation you describe is not measurable.

Jeff Brunette, CHP

Ask the Experts is posting answers using only SI (the International System of Units) in accordance with international practice. To convert these to traditional units we have prepared a conversion table. You can also view a diagram to help put the radiation information presented in this question and answer in perspective. Explanations of radiation terms can be found here.
Answer posted on 11 March 2020. The information posted on this web page is intended as general reference information only. Specific facts and circumstances may affect the applicability of concepts, materials, and information described herein. The information provided is not a substitute for professional advice and should not be relied upon in the absence of such professional advice. To the best of our knowledge, answers are correct at the time they are posted. Be advised that over time, requirements could change, new data could be made available, and Internet links could change, affecting the correctness of the answers. Answers are the professional opinions of the expert responding to each question; they do not necessarily represent the position of the Health Physics Society.