Radioactive Iodine and Children...

cfh

How old does a child have to be in order to not fall under the category of 'small shildren' or 'tiny children'?

I can't seem to find any info on the procedure beyond those terms. What I'm looking for is an answer to whether our 12yod daughter will have to go away while I'm home decontaminating after the treatment or if she is old enough to be within the (relatively) safe group. My wife thinks that it means all children, which is fine, but I keep seeing references to 'tiny children' on the net and I just want to know if we're being overly cautious here.

I love science and I know enough to not fear the term 'radioactive', nor indeed this whole procedure or its affects on me. If I could just get an answer to this I think my family would be a lot more calm about the whole thing.

Any advice would be extremely helpful!

kayetera

As long as your daughter maintains a safe distance from you (6 ft) during your time of being most radioactive, she should be fine. A 12 yr old should be able to understand this, whereas a younger child would not. I am assuming that your wife will be able to provide any care that your daughter may need during this time, such as preparing meals. If you have to provide direct care to your daughter then she would need to stay with another family member or friend. I had to board my dogs because they like to sit in my lap. Radiation can adversely affect their thyroids as well. Good luck with your treatment.
Teresa

Unknown

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