How can children benefit from total-body PET?

The introduction of long axial field-of-view (LAFOV) PET/CT scanners marks a major advancement in paediatric nuclear medicine. These systems provide greatly enhanced sensitivity, enabling superior image quality with reduced radiopharmaceutical doses and substantially shorter scan times. This is particularly advantageous in children, who are more radiosensitive and often struggle with prolonged procedures that may require sedation. LAFOV PET/CT allows whole-body imaging in a single bed position, reducing motion artefacts, improving patient comfort, and lessening procedural anxiety. Such benefits align with the ALARA (As Low As Reasonably Achievable) principle, critical for minimising radiation exposure in children given their increased sensitivity and longer life expectancy. Although associated with higher initial costs and increased data demands, LAFOV technology offers significant clinical advantages, including the potential for personalised imaging protocols tailored to each child's needs. This review discusses the technical attributes of LAFOV PET/CT and its expanding role in paediatric imaging, addressing both opportunities and challenges. By overcoming previous limitations related to scan duration and radiation dose, LAFOV PET/CT is poised to transform paediatric diagnostics, enabling safer, faster, and more comprehensive assessments.