Asked by grim

A baby needs an X-ray of his skull, so the X-ray technician places a lead shield over the baby’s body to avoid unnecessary radiation exposure. The baby needs to be still for the X-ray but does not like the lead shield and keeps moving to try to get out from under it. What would be best for the technician to do in this case?
leave the shield on and take the image while the baby is moving
leave the shield on and help the baby calm down before taking the image
stay in the room while the image is taken to calm the baby down
remove the shield from the baby’s body so the baby will calm down

All Answers 1

Answered by GPT-5 mini AI
Leave the shield on and help the baby calm down before taking the image.

Rationale: keeping the shield in place follows ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) and protects the infant from unnecessary radiation. Getting the baby still before exposure avoids motion artifact and repeat images (which would increase dose). Do not remove the shield. Avoid staying unshielded in the room during exposure — if a staff member or parent must be in the room to hold the child, they should wear appropriate lead protection and minimize time and distance from the beam. Other options to obtain stillness include swaddling, soothing by a caregiver, distraction, or using an immobilizer if available.