Article in Local Paper

[SingleFatherofDD]

Good Morning,

 

While having my morning meal after rounding on patients I read an article from Newsday. This article was about what we should do about traveling with young children and they are required to under go the new security screening. It is funny to see to different sides of the story.

 

The Academy of Pediatrics hasn't taken a stand, but a member of the group's executive committee said he would have children have the pat-down. He rationale for this is that they are young and have a life span to receive radiation. Radition is cumulative and he says we have to be concerned. However, he doesn't mention anything about how pat-downs will effect children emotionally.

 

Then they had spokesman from the American College of Radiology say he has no qualms of taking his children through the scanners. He gives information about the strength of the does of radition that one get in the scanner. The dose we get is is about the same amount we would receive flying at 30,000 feet for 2 to 4 minutes. Also he says that it would take 1,000 scans from this machine to equal what a person gets when they have a chest x-Ray.

 

Finally they had a psychologist put her two cents in and she said she would have her children go through the scanners because she compares it to going through a metal detector and doesn't thing it would be a healthy thing for a child to be patted down.

 

Now with this information we have to make our own decision of what to do. I think we should all head for the lines with the metal detectors and then if we have to have additional screening we make the decision in the best interest in our child. I still don't know what I would do if my DD had to have additional screening. I guess I will have to make that choice when and if it comes.

 

Hope this sheds some new light into this debate.

[MamaParrotHead]

That is surely enlightening information. Thanks so much for posting it! :)

[chipmaster]

Sorry I feel a bit fiesty today but are people blowing things way out of proportions.

 

I guess maybe my kids don't fly more often than they get x-rays at the dentist.

 

I personally watch things like how much fast food they eat, have them eat home prepared meals at school, make sure they are busy with activities that keep them active and developing good lifelong habits etc. etc. are more important in their long term mental and physical health then worrying about what happens when they fly twice or three time a year.

[CanadianTwosome]

I'm in agreement with Chipmaster. I've been quite baffled by the amount of controversy surrounding the scanners. This isn't the first time I've seen a reference to the extremely low dose of radiation these scanners emit. I wouldn't think twice about being scanned or allowing my daughter to be scanned.

[junglejane]

Sorry I feel a bit fiesty today but are people blowing things way out of proportions.

 

I guess maybe my kids don't fly more often than they get x-rays at the dentist.

 

Before you use the supposed safety of dental x-rays to reassure yourself about the airport scanners, you may want to read the Nov. 22 article in the NY Times entitled: "Radiation Worries for Children in Dentist Chairs." The gist of the article is that children and adolescents are more vulnerable to radiation. Doctors have mounted a national campaign to reduce kids' radiation exposure, but dentists and orthodontists lag behind. Dentists often still use overly high doses of X-rays, and many orthodontists have embraced expensive new 3-D imaging technology even though it's not clear how safe it is or whether it is superior to older style technologies (e.g., a camera). http://www.nytimes.com/2010/11/23/us/23scan.html. We don't fly with our kids that often, so I'm not too worried about the airport scanners. But I'm going to start asking a lot more questions at the dentist's and orthodontist's offices.

[SingleFatherofDD]

I have to agree with all of you. The media is making a mountain out of a mole hill. It seems that the media needs to have something in the headlines to talk about. Two weeks ago it was the Carnival Slendor. Now it is about these full body scanners or pat-downs. If you need to travel by plane in the United States you have to be willing to give up some rights to be able to feel safe.

 

I will talk to my DD before our cruise and explain to her about what might happen. She has flown once before, but it was before these new regulations came out.

[dalitos]

Thank you for posting about the article, I find it very interesting.

What I didn't like about it is the psychologist comparing it to going through a metal detector, since it's not the same. I'd be very interested in what a psychologist especially has to say about this subject, but the comparison is not correct.

I personally don't like the idea of my son going through a machine that emits radiation, but prefer that to him being groped, even in the most impersonal/professional? way. He's 2 years old and is too young to be touched by anyone.

As for myself, I'd rather go through the scanner than the pat down, even though again, not thrilled about the radiation.

[6rugrats]

We took a trip with three children a couple weeks ago, where we all went through the full body scanners. I would agree with the psychologist that compared it to a metal detector. You walk in, put you hands behind your head, turn around and walk out. Hardly the stuff of trauma.

 

None of them cared, or even commented about it. IMO, this entire subject has been been blown way out of proportion by the media.

[RoadTripFanatic]

According to the TSA children under the age of 12 will not be subjected to the ENHANCED pat downs. If they have to have one it will be a modified version.

[SusieV]

I would much rather have my son have the patdown (since it's different for children) than go through the scanner. We won't know for decades how safe this radiation really is, and I don't want to take any additional risks with my son's life.

 

We already have so much radiation in our lives that adding more is not the answer, IMO. We try to reduce exposure at home by not having anything that operates with radio waves- no cordless phones, no wireless devices, etc. There is a great deal of speculation that this type of thing is what has caused the increase in ADHD, cancers, etc. Personally, I believe it- it makes a whole lot of sense to me.

 

I am hoping by the time my son is old enough that the enhanced patdown would be a problem that this whole mess is resolved and we don't have to be molested every time we fly.