There has been a bit of debate recently (well not just recently) about whether or not ultrasound use in pregnancy poses any risks to the baby. Many doctors still believe it is extremely safe, to the point that they do it regularily to their family members, and usually come back with the statement "If it wasn't safe, I wouldn't recommend it" or "There are more forms of radiation in our everyday lives that are worse than ultrasounds". Well the fact is, studies are proving them wrong. And directly applying the ultrasound or doppler to the womans body to "check" on the baby is the strongest form of radiation an unborn baby will ever experience.
Recent studies on pregnant rodents and non-human primates have shown that exposing the unborn babies to ultrasound waves, have very distinct behavioural issues, such as social withdrawal. On a physical level, these babies were born with lower birth weights and poor muscle tone. One study, using Guinea pigs saw an increase of temperature in the brain tissue near the bone by up to 5.1 degrees Celcius. Routine scans are performed on healthy women, with normal pregnancies at around 18 weeks gestation, imagine if the baby's brain tissue is increasing in temperature by that much during such an important part of development, that baby could have damage to the brain tissue that is irreversible, such as neurological disorders.
Ultrasounds are being used to detect abnormalities in the baby, but with a possible +5000 chromosomal abnormalities, only a few can be detected. Before just sending a woman for scan I think it is important to know what she will do with the information. If she isn't going to abort the pregnancy, no matter what the scan says, then why bother sending her. And if there is a complication, mulitiple scans could be putting that baby at an increased risk.
The bottom line is, if there is a complication, an ultrasound can't fix it, and it probably won't even catch it. So is it worth the risk for everyone.
Much Love
Marissa
ps. here are several links to some articles and studies on the effects of ultrasound.
http://www.sarahjbuckley.com/articles/ultrasound-scans.htm
http://www.aims.org.uk/Journal/Vol11No4/ultra2.htm
http://www.midwiferytoday.com/articles/ultrasound.asp
http://www.greenhealthwatch.com/newsstories/newslatest/latest0701/ultrasound-hurt.html
check them out.
I think for a lot of women it's not about fixing a problem that is detected, it's preparing for one. An abnormal ultrasound is usually the first step in detecting a possible problem and in those cases often leads to further testing.
ReplyDeleteI'm interested to read these links you've posted though, especially with regards to how many ultrasounds were performed on these animals and what the duration of those ultrasounds was. Are they comparable to the routine 18 week one that most women get? Or exaggerated by comparison? I find this stuff fascinating so I'm glad you posted it.
I think many of them are similar to the 18 week test and the 14 week test that many women go for. You really have to read the fine print to make sure they aren't exaggerated.
ReplyDeleteI felt really uncomfortable getting an ultrasound done when pregnant. My instincts were just screaming at me to get out. I really did not enjoy the experience. Sure I have pictures of my unborn baby, but it just didn't feel right.
The Nuchal Translucency test that is done at 14 weeks (or 15, whenever they book you) is testing for Down Syndrome and has a very high false positive rate. I don't even think they should offer it unless you are clearly at risk. Of all the tests that come back claiming to be positive for a Down Syndrome baby, only 1 our of 60 truly has it. With that information we chose not to bother putting ourselves through the stress, because I would have been ridiculously stressed out.
But, as I said, at the end of the day, you just have to decide what you feel is best for your family and situation. Next time I won't be going for an ultrasound, I have complete faith that I will have another healthy child, and birth him or her at home again. If something indicates to us that there is a need, of course we will go.
To get a Sonography degree, the job market for ultrasound technicians has grown a lot in the past 20 years, and it's expected to keep growing. Sonography is being used more and more by healthcare providers, as patients and doctors alike view it as a safer, less invasive alternative to x-rays and other diagnostic methods. In addition, new sonographic technology - such as 3-D sonography - will create further uses for sonography and could lead to even more growth in ultrasound jobs. As an ultrasound technician, you can work in hospitals, clinics, and physicians' offices. You'll run the machine, keep records of the images, and record patient histories.
ReplyDeleteHi Marissa, you article has solid information. I agree with you that the risks of ultrasound during pregnancy are largely unknown. I would recommend the article on Risks Benefits and Future of Ultrasound to your readers.Thank you!
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