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Ultrasound exposure

The issue of ultrasound exposure for the unborn baby came up in conversation last week. The woman I was talking to was around 16 weeks pregnant and had just had her dating scan, which she showed me. She said this would be the only scan she would have, as she was concerned about unnecessary exposure of her baby to ultrasound. Some of her friends had undergone multiple scans during their pregnancies, often almost as a routine, and they didn’t seem to be aware of the potential risks to their baby of this invasive procedure.

I came across this useful document recently and thought is was an excellent idea. The evidence for safety of ultrasound to the unborn baby is still not conclusive, so until we know what levels are safe it would seem sensible to at least have a record of the baby’s exposure to ultrasound, for future reference. Ultrasound machines vary in their strength and must be well maintained. Different procedures will require differing levels of exposure, so some babies will accumulate greater exposure than others. Babies with specific problems or questionable development may have the most scans of all, which may contribute to their overall problems. We just don’t know enough yet to be certain. Download file

This document was produced by The Association for Improvements in the Maternity Services (AIMS) in the UK. It can be reproduced providing their name appears on it. It would make a good handout in prenatal clinics, prenatal classes and doctor’s waiting rooms. AIMS can be contacted by email : Chair@aims.org.uk and their web site is www.aims.org.uk

Posted by andrea at February 09, 2004 12:46 PM

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