Children’s sensitivity to ionising radiation makes optimising paediatric doses an important concern in medical imaging. Diagnostic reference levels (DRLs) are promoted by international guidelines [1–4] and widely used to optimise patient exposures. But establishing and updating paediatric DRLs is a challenge for most countries. In France, arrangements in place until 2019 to collect data for updating DRLs [5] had remained ineffective in paediatric imaging.

A survey was therefore conducted, between May and December 2016, in order to collect paediatric data for establishing new paediatric DRLs in CT, plain radiography and diagnostic fluoroscopy. More generally it was intended to improve the knowledge on current paediatric imaging practices in France.

This survey was organised by the French-speaking Society for Paediatric and Prenatal Imaging (SFIPP), the French Society of Radiology (SFR) and the French Institute for Radiological Protection and Nuclear Safety (IRSN). Its results have already been published in European Radiology [6, 7].