WakeMed Children’s unites pediatric specialists, and the specialized services they offer, under one roof, so families have access to the care they need and deserve. What sets WakeMed Children’s apart from the rest of our team of specially trained adult health care professionals is our numerous pediatric areas — including pediatric radiology where we work with several skilled Raleigh Radiology pediatric radiologists, including Jonathan Brandon, MD.

Pediatric radiologists are unique in that they work with a wide range of other pediatric specialty physicians to diagnose and determine the best treatment options for children experiencing various illnesses and injuries.

In our quest to learn more about these incredible “specialists behind the specialists,” we sat down with pediatric radiologist, Jonathan Brandon, MD, to learn more about the unique role he plays and why this field of specialization is so vital to pediatric patient outcomes.

Tell us about your background and how you became a pediatric radiologist?

I chose to work in pediatric radiology because it’s important to me to help children. A pediatric radiologist is the person who gets to put together the pieces of a puzzle and is a key part of the process of helping understand what a child needs to get better.

Pediatric radiologists have extensive education that requires up to 14 years of study and training. My experience consists of four years of undergraduate work, four years of medical school, one year of clinical internship, and four years of a radiology residency. At that point, I continued into a year-long sub-specialty fellowship for pediatric radiology. I am particularly interested in pediatric cardiac imaging. There are multiple avenues for pediatric radiologists to specialize in, and the team at WakeMed and Raleigh Radiology provides world class expertise to our youngest patients.

Why is dedicated pediatric imaging services so important?

I have a six- and an eight-year-old. As a dad, I understand being worried about your children and wanting them to be safe and cared for well.

The best doctor to take care of them would be someone with additional knowledge and training within pediatrics. It’s what makes the team at WakeMed Children’s so special.

I think something people don’t always realize is that children aren’t just small adults. There are different diseases that affect children, and these diseases present differently over the course of childhood.

One thing that I want parents to know is that at WakeMed Children’s and at Raleigh Radiology, we focus on working closely with the other pediatric specialty providers to provide the highest level of care possible to our youngest patients.

We are a team of experts and focus on working to provide the best approach possible.

How do you support the providers at WakeMed Children’s?

I think that teamwork piece I mentioned is a key to what we do every day. Our team of pediatric radiologists, along with the other pediatric clinicians, work together to make sure that the care is appropriate for the child right from the start.

We want to make sure that we order the right exam at the right time. And when we get those results, we work with the team of providers to come up with the best path forward.

I think parents might find it interesting to know that each study is customized for that specific child and their individual situation and physical size. Sometimes, the images don’t provide a clear-cut answer, but that’s when that collaboration with other subspecialists is key to help pinpoint a diagnosis.

Is there a standard radiation and sedation protocol based on the age and size of a child?

Our goal is to provide the lowest dose of radiation possible for every child. Radiation dosages are a concern of parents, and we take this very seriously. We work as a team to make sure we perform the right test at the right time with the right dose to accurately conduct the imaging study.

Tell me about sedation for exams and procedures.

While not appropriate for all patients and exams, sedation uses a combination of medicines to help a pediatric patient relax during a procedure, to reduce anxiety, discomfort and pain without the increased risk involved in putting the child to sleep.

Is sedation less of a concern as a child gets older?

Sedation is mostly used in young children who have a harder time holding still while we gather the images.  Our primary goal is to avoid sedation if possible, and if not possible, use the appropriate amount for the size of the child.

What is the most rewarding part of what you do?

I love being part of a team that helps make children better. The rewarding part is understanding what is going on and helping children and their families. I get a lot of personal fulfillment working through the puzzle, solving it logically and helping to guide the process to administer appropriate care for the child.