MRI children: In good hands with radiologist Dr. Catarina Jung

Images from inside the body help to make the right diagnosis and thus ensure the best possible treatment for any illness or injury.

Examinations using imaging techniques such as magnetic resonance imaging – MRI for short – are naturally associated with technology and large apparatus. They evoke a wide range of reactions in children – from curiosity to uncertainty and fear.

Private radiology practice Dr. Catarina Jung

If you are looking for a radiology practice that is particularly well versed in MRI examinations in children, then Dr. Catarina Jung’s private radiology practice in Frankfurt is the right place for you:

• We motivate your child for the examination by saying that we look inside the body from the outside – without it hurting – to find out why he or she is not feeling well and in this way the doctor can help better.
• It is a safe examination that can be stopped if necessary.
• MRI examinations are also carried out in our practice on small children from around 4 years of age without sedation.
• Our team specializes in children. Both Dr. Catarina Jung and the entire team are very child-friendly, empathetic and introduce children to examinations in a playful way.
• The use of MRI is painless and is particularly suitable for children due to the lack of radiation exposure.

Radiation protection for children and adolescents

Radiation protection is particularly important for children and adolescents, as they are still growing up: their body cells divide more frequently and react more sensitively to X-rays than adult body cells.

Organizational procedure

• Examination appointments can be arranged at short notice by telephone. Alternatively, you can book your desired appointment flexibly online 24 hours a day and choose the best time for you to come to us with your child.
• Waiting times are avoided in the practice through optimal organization.
• There is a children’s book in the waiting room that explains everything worth knowing about MRI examinations with pictures and simple text for children.
• Parents are involved in the course of the examination and can stay with their child in the examination room throughout the MRI examination.
• The child may have a cuddly toy with them during the examination and listen to children’s music or stories via headphones.
• After the MRI examination, the child is rewarded with a certificate of bravery.

How does the MRI examination work?

First of all, all metallic objects such as watches, jewelry, hair clips or cell phones must be removed. A cuddly toy or doll may be taken along, provided that it does not contain anything metallic. Comfortable clothing without metal parts, such as zippers, may be left on.

The examination takes about 20 minutes and during this time you lie on a couch, which is moved into an open tube to varying degrees depending on the area being examined. Loud knocking noises are made during the examination. So that these are not too disturbing, the young patients are given earplugs or headphones to listen to music, songs or favorite stories.

Immediately after the examination, the images from the MRI scan are shown on a large monitor in the doctor’s room by Dr. Catarina Jung and the results are explained in detail. Any open questions are answered together with the child and parents. A personally issued certificate of bravery rewards the child at the end of the examination. The images of the examination are handed out in the form of a CD and an additional QR code, which can be used to view the images online on the internet.

How does an MRI work?

To understand how MRI works, let’s take a short trip into the world of atoms. All substances in the environment, including the human body, are made up of atoms. These are tiny particles, invisible to the eye even under a microscope, which consist of an outer shell and a nucleus.

The body’s tissues and organs consist mainly of water, which in turn is made up of hydrogen atoms. The nuclei of the hydrogen atoms play a decisive role in MRI, as they behave like mini-magnets in the body.

As soon as the patient lies in the MRI tube, these mini magnets arrange themselves in the tissues in the MRI magnetic field. This is where the radio waves come into play. They are directed at the examination region from the outside and deflect the atomic nuclei from their recently assumed position. When the radio waves are switched off, the atomic nuclei immediately jump back to their original position in the magnetic field. In doing so, they emit signals that can be measured using highly sensitive antennas.

A computer calculates numbers from these signals, which in turn are converted into different shades of gray on the image. Diseased or injured tissue appears in a different shade of gray than healthy tissue. When examining the knee, a total of 100 to 200 wafer-thin cross-sectional images are created in different planes without the patient having to change their position.

The MRI examination is a very valuable diagnostic method that is particularly suitable for children and adolescents. It makes it possible to detect many injuries or illnesses at an early stage. This lays the foundation for successful treatment.

MRI children: Make an appointment now

If you have any questions or uncertainties before your MRI examination, you are welcome to send us a message or ask us in person. Make your appointment now at the radiology practice of Dr. Catarina Jung!

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