A research has concluded that there is an increased risk of developing cancer in children who undergo CT (computed tomography) scans. It revealed that parents make their children undergo such scans even if the head injury they sustain isn’t that serious. Dr. Lise Nigrovic of Children's Hospital Boston, who led the research, said, “CT isn't bad if you really need, but you don't want to use it in children who are at low risk for having a significant injury”.

Dr. Lise Nigrovic suggested that parents should spend some extra hours observing their children’s injury in the emergency unit before going for a CT scan. He said that during a CT scan, in order to create a virtual image of the inside part of the brain; several harmful radiations/beams are passed through the brain.

The research has also found out that children are at a greater risk than grown-ups because the cells in children multiply at a greater pace than adults, hence, their brain tissue is far more radiosensitive to the CT scan.

CT scans, which tell about possible signs of hidden injuries and blood clots, cost around $500 per scan. The research reveals that 30% of such scans are useless.