General information to help you prepare for a conversation with your clinician.
“Will you be there with me?” is a hard question to answer from the appointment reminder. Many MRI centers let a parent stay after a safety screening. The place doing your child’s scan can tell you what it allows. Call before you promise a seat beside the scanner.
Ask where you’ll be
Try this when you call. “My child is coming for a knee MRI on Friday. Can I stay in the scan room? If I can, what screening do I need? If I can’t, when will I see them again?” Mention any implant or device of your own when you ask. Someone entering the room with a child also needs to be safe around the magnet.
Give your child something concrete to picture
The scanner makes loud knocking sounds. The staff give children hearing protection, and the technologist can hear and speak to them during the scan. A useful question for your child to ask is “Can we try talking to each other before you start?” Knowing whose voice they’ll hear can matter more than knowing the name of the test.
If staying still sounds hard
Tell the scheduler what has helped before. Some centers offer a practice scanner or a child life specialist who can let kids hear the sounds ahead of time. If sedation is planned, ask the team for its eating and drinking instructions and where you can be during recovery. Write down the plan in the words you’ll actually use with your child.
Sources
American College of Radiology and RSNA · Pediatric MRI
American College of Radiology and RSNA · Preparing for an MRI