[ RadSafe ] baby in x-ray scanner

[Cindy Bloom]

Just one more thought:  most everything I've read about early threshold 
effects of radiation exposures indicates that there can be significant time 
lags (at least hours and sometimes days or weeks) between exposure and the 
development of most nonstochastic effects, and as someone else pointed out, 
many of the very effects that are detected earliest could be due to 
something other than radiation exposure.  While checking the baby within an 
hour or so (just a guess) after exposure might seem like due diligence, it 
reminds me of a practice to collect a urine sample immediately after an 
internal exposure accident and then declare that no exposure had occurred 
because no material was [yet] found in the urine.

I don't mean to imply that I think there should be follow up medical care 
of this baby due to the small radiation exposure that occurred.  However, 
it might be prudent to determine exactly what the exposure might have been 
with measurements from that particular x-ray unit (if not already 
done).  While one hopes such an event does not recur, this also might be an 
opportunity to assure written information is  available at security 
stations regarding possible exposure events and follow-up actions.