FDA proposes radiation limits on imaging devices

The US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) wants manufacturers of imaging devices to design new machines with protocols specifically for children and to add safety labels that warn against using the devices on children unless they are demonstrated to be safe for pediatric use.

FDA's initiative seeks to help health care providers use computed tomography scanners, fluoroscopy, and radiography devices more safely on children, whose smaller bodies are more susceptible to the effects of ionizing radiation.

Repeated exposure to imaging radiation accumulates over a child's longer lifetime, posing an increased risk of cancer per dose. Another concern is that using equipment settings designed for adults results in a larger dose of radiation than is necessary to produce a useful diagnostic image in a child.