The physical and psychological preparation you can provide for this or any test or procedure depends on your child's age, interests, previous experience, and level of trust. There is a feeling of fullness during the procedure, moderate to severe cramping, the urge to defecate, and a general discomfort. The X-rays themselves are painless. There is low radiation exposure. X-rays are monitored and regulated to provide the minimum amount of radiation exposure needed to produce the image.
Most experts feel that the risk is low compared with the benefits.
Pregnant women and children are more sensitive to the risks of the X-ray . A more serious risk is a perforated colon, which is very rare. The barium enema may also be used to diagnose and evaluate the extent of inflammatory bowel diseases. An acute appendicitis or twisted loop of the bowel may also be seen. CT scans and ultrasounds are now the tests of choice for the initial evaluation of abdominal masses.