Infant goes through airport X-ray machine

amynicole21 wrote: Infant goes through airport X-ray machine
POSTED: 2:34 p.m. EST, December 20, 2006
Story Highlights• Grandmother leaves infant in plastic bin at airport X-ray machine
• Baby goes through machine at Los Angeles International Airport
• Baby checked out at hospital and is fine


LOS ANGELES, California (Reuters) -- A woman sent her 1-month-old grandson through an X-ray machine at Los Angeles International Airport, security officials said Wednesday.

The woman, who spoke little English and was traveling to Mexico, put the infant in a plastic bin used to hold loose carry-on items for security scanning at the busy airport Saturday morning.

Security screeners saw the baby as it started to pass through, pulled the bin out, and immediately sought medical assistance for the child, Transportation Security Administration spokesman Nico Melendez said.

The baby was examined at a local hospital and judged not to have received a dangerous dose of radiation.

"The lady obviously mistakenly put the baby in the machine. It was an unfortunate incident," Melendez said.

Airport officials said it was an innocent mistake by an inexperienced traveler and only the second such incident there since 1988, when a baby in a car seat went through an X-ray scanner.

Kirstenmumof3 replied: WoW that is scary! That poor baby!

lisar replied: How do you accidentaly put a 1 month old thru that. Thats just stupid to me. Glad the baby is fine though.

sparkys2boys replied: was the grandmother waitung on the other side for the baby or was she gone I wonder.. geesh?? The poor baby was in a bin, did that not seem odd to gram??

C&K*s Mommie replied: The part about the little English and she was traveling to Mexico may be a clue that she did not understand that humans need not go through X-ray machines. It was likely as officials said, an honest mistake. I am glad that the baby did not go all the way through the machine.

holley79 replied: WOW, how did an airport offical not catch that befor it went through. I know when we were going through check points they would look in the plastic bin before sending it through. Glad the infant is ok though.

Brias3 replied: I'm wondering the same thing- how was it not noticed before going through? I love how they state one of the reasons being that the woman was an "inexperienced traveler"

3xsthefun replied: OMG! The poor baby! I'm glad that the baby is ok.

MommyToAshley replied: OMG n Poor baby, glad the baby was ok.

mysweetpeasWil&Wes replied: They do say everything must go through.... Sorry, I just had to make light of the situation. Poor baby...glad he/she is okay.

Mommy2BAK replied: oh my goodness gracious!! Thats just awful!

Boo&BugsMom replied:
This was exactly what I thought! Goodness, where are people's common sense these days?!?!!?