Movie-playing goggles ease children's stress during MRIs

Matthew Bezaire avoided the stress experienced by most children during an MRI, thanks to new technology introduced at Windsor Regional Hospital.

Before sliding him into the imaging machine back in September, technicians fit a pair of goggles on the six-year-old, allowing him to watch his favourite movie, Little Nemo, during the often daunting procedure.

"Even for an adult, it can be quite scary. You don't really know what to expect until you get in there," said Lori Bezaire, the lead MRI technologist at Windsor Regional. "Even looking at the machine, it's very overwhelming, especially to a little person. It's a large machine, it's very, very loud, it can be quite intimidating."

The $50,000 new Cinema Vision MRI goggles were paid for by money raised at two music concerts: Dr. Len Cortese's Tragically O'Hip concert and Chris Renaud's Passion for Paeds concert.

The goggles remove much of the stress from the experience and help avoid using sedation, which can often leave children groggy for up to four hours after the scan, Bezaire said.

Matthew's mom Karen Tellerd praised the new goggles because of her son's experience.

"He was able to watch his favourite movie and he got through the entire experience," she said. "He was not traumatized, he didn't have to be sedated and he went right back to school when he was done."

You can see the goggles in the Facebook video below or by heading here.