Parental presence improves pediatric MRI success without sedation: a prospective randomized study

Area of Science:

• Pediatric Imaging
• Radiology
• Child Psychology

Background:

• Pediatric MRI often requires sedation due to children's inability to remain still, posing risks and increasing costs.
• Non-pharmacologic strategies exist, but the impact of parental presence on pediatric MRI success is understudied.

Purpose of the Study:

• To evaluate the effectiveness of parental presence in improving non-sedated MRI success in children aged 3-10 years.
• To assess if parental presence impacts MRI completion rates and image quality.

Main Methods:

• A prospective, single-center randomized controlled trial was conducted with children aged 3-10 years.
• Participants were stratified by age (3-6 and 7-10 years) and randomized to have a parent present or absent during MRI.
• MRI success was defined by completion of sequences and image quality (artifacts).

Main Results:

• Overall MRI completion and success rates showed a trend towards improvement with parental presence (75% vs 55%, P=0.25).
• In children aged 3-6 years, parental presence significantly increased MRI completion (59.1% vs 18.2%, P=0.012) and overall success (OR=6.50).
• No significant difference was observed in the 7-10-year age group. Crying during vaccinations and sibling number did not affect success.

Conclusions:

• Parental presence is a safe, low-cost, and effective strategy to improve non-sedated MRI success in younger children (3-6 years).
• This intervention requires no specialized resources and can be considered a first-line approach for pediatric MRI.
• Further research may explore optimal implementation strategies across different age groups.