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Doctors warn against ultrasounds
Filed under: Health & Safety: Babies, Media
Doctors are warning pregnant women against unnecessary ultrasounds.In the wake of the casual announcement by Tom Cruise that he'd purchased one, and the prevalence in the US of franchise fetal photo labs, doctors fear that ultrasound equipment is being regarded as a camera and not as a medical instrument.
Doctors and the Canadian Medical association are warning against extra ultrasound sessions, citing studies that have concluded that ultrasounds can contribute to delayed speech, cellular damage, and lower birth weight. The scary thing is that doctors "don't know" the full impact of too-many ultrasounds on the human fetus, and their prescribing precaution.
This is common sense to me, although I will admit that I was kind of excited when I had to have a second ultrasound because of my obstetrician's concern that I was measuring a little small. It is pretty amazing to see a little life kicking inside your womb, it makes the baby so much more real. I knew not to go demanding ultrasounds every second week, but I also didn't think that they could cause cellular damage.
Perhaps Tom's purchase of his home ultrasound machine was a little glib.
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ReaderComments (Page 2 of 2)
5-21-2006 @ 3:01PM
LB said...It's my feeling that ultrasounds have their place, but they are probably used way way too often. In 2001 I had the first u/s with that pregnancy at 8 months to determine the cause of my DD's breech position.
It was a very mainstream place and the tech was pleased and amazed that I hadn't had one until then. She said too many docs were using them to be off the hook or out of sheer laziness and parents were using them as a portrait studio. She felt that we really don't know the full extent of ultrasound exposure, tho it can be a useful tool. So some techs have concerns.
Also the perinatolgist we were referred to to follow up on the breech gleefully called himself a "technology brat." I think too many OBs are relying too much on tests and screens rather than their own skills.
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5-23-2006 @ 4:05PM
Rose said...I haven't actually had a baby yet, but I read recently in an alternative health publication that ultrasounds could cause hearing loss, and other problems, so when my sister got pregnant and had several ultrasounds, I was concerned. She said the doctors told her it was totally safe for the baby, and she just recently had another one (her 3rd or 4th, I'm not sure). I looked for information online, and haven't found anything about the hearing loss (so far), but what I HAVE found is that there are many many doctors and hospitals websites proclaiming that ultrasounds are "perfectly safe," or that there are "absolutely no side effects." However, when you read notices by the FDA or other higher medical organizations, they all say that there are "no KNOWN side effects" -- meaning, "we really have no idea if this is safe or not, but until we find out for sure, we're covering our butts by phrasing it this way." Did you know they regularly X-Rayed pregnant women for more than 30 years, until they found out it caused lukemia in the children later in life? I bet before then, they had notices saying that X-Rays had "no known side effects" on fetuses. All the recommendations from reputable sources say it's probably a good idea NOT to have them unless there is a specific medical reason. Why take a chance?
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5-29-2006 @ 12:48AM
wylma schell said...I believe ultrasounds effect the ears. After all it is sound waves, right. What about an ultrasound being done and the baby/ies don't move?? No a common occurance because the sound waves make them move....of course. I have 3 children and I couldn't believe the amount of children with ear infections. Mine didn't have that problem.
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