House bill encourages providers to use lowest possible radiation dose with children

Imaging children is coming under scrutiny from industry and government. Source: Kids Imaging & Diagnostic Specialists

A resolution supporting the effort to reduce the radiation dose used in the imaging of children was introduced May 20 in the U.S. House of Representatives.  

Rep. Sue Myrick, R-N.C., along with Reps. Lois Capps, D-Calif., Steve Israel, D-N.Y., and Deborah Pryce, R-Ohio, the co-chairs of the Congressional Cancer Caucus, sponsored the House bill, H.R. 1216.

The American College of Radiology (ACR) said that children are more sensitive to radiation received from imaging scans than adults, and cumulative radiation exposure to their smaller, developing bodies could, over time, have adverse effects.

The ACR has joined the Alliance for Radiation Safety in Pediatric Imaging in launching the Image Gently campaign to help ensure that medical protocols for the imaging of children keep pace with technology. 

Image Gently presents research and educational materials to aid radiologists, radiologic technologists, medical physicists and other imaging stakeholders in determining the appropriate radiation techniques to be used in the imaging of children and how the radiation received from these exams may affect pediatric patients over time.