The immune system and body of children is more sensitive than that of adults, this is general knowledge. But most parents do not know that certain types of radiation can predispose their children to certain cancers.
Fox news reports on the radiation issue among children. “Infants and children can be more at risk than adults of developing some cancers when exposed to radiation,” according to Fox. The study found numerous cancers that children have a higher chance of getting, in comparison to adults, when exposed to radiation.
The study showed, “Children were found to be more sensitive than adults for the development of 25 percent of tumor types including leukemia, and thyroid, brain and breast cancer.” "The risk can be significantly higher, depending on circumstances,” according to UNSCEAR.
Children are exposed to radiation in various ways from certain medical tests to nuclear accidents. Fox reports, “Studies into the 1986 accident at Chernobyl in Ukraine have, however, linked thyroid cancer to radioactive iodine. The thyroid is the most exposed organ as radioactive iodine concentrates there. Children are deemed especially vulnerable. Friday's report, presented to the U.N. General Assembly, said children and adults should be considered separately following exposure in order to predict risk more accurately.”
The chair of the UNSCEAR explained, “Because of their anatomical and physiological differences, radiation exposure has a different impact on children compared with adults. It is not recommended to use the same generalizations used for adults when considering the risks and effects of radiation exposure during childhood." “UNSCEAR said it had reviewed 23 cancer types, some of which were highly relevant for evaluating the radiological consequences of nuclear accidents and of some medical procedures. For about 15 percent of cancer types such as colon, children were found to have the same radiation sensitivity as adults,” according to Fox.
