Drinking iodine-131 and immediately contacting a young child may cause mutations in the actively growing and differentiating cells in the young child’s body, affecting the normal function of the body and causing symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, weakness, and decreased resistance.
Iodine-131 is a radioactive substance that can still produce external radiation after entering the human body. Young children have many proliferating and differentiated cells in their bodies, which are susceptible to interference from the external environment, and such radiation may lead to damage and death of radiation-sensitive cells, which may have a certain impact on the normal growth and development and physiological functions of young children.
Symptoms such as nausea, diarrhea, vomiting, weakness and decreased resistance may occur. Therefore, patients who have received Iodine 131 treatment should follow the doctor’s instructions to avoid contact with young children for a period of time, generally 2~3 months, and the specific time is subject to the doctor’s advice.