I think this is BS. I'm an ultrasound tech who is 6 months pregnant. There are no bioeffects from ultrasound according to the ACR- American College of Radiology. Ultrasound uses sound waves, no radiation. Every pregnant woman gets ultrasound these days. How do they know that the low birth weight is from that? High risk patients get more ultrasounds to check the baby. That is probably why their rate is higher with more ultrasounds. They were going to get abnormal babies anyway. Tom Cruise shouldnt have had an ultrasound machine. I'm sure that the FDA wouldnt have allowed it. He probably got it illegally.

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Good points by Viki, however, I remember when I was getting occupational therapy for an arm injury and the technician said they stopped using ultrasound as often because research showed that if cancer, could make cells grow faster. I don't know where research was done, or anything more about it, but it could make sense, sound waves might stimulate this growth. Since no one really knows effects of any of these diagnostic tests, I'd say aim for low usage. As far as Tom Cruise goes, it's becoming apparent he feels his opinions and actions are far superior to the rest of us and I don't even see his movies any longer. I do hope the ultrasound he possibly did on his own child did not cause harm.

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Here's the FDA warning:
http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2004/104_images.html

Here's a safe alternative... take your first and only sonogram picture -- the one you received for medical reasons -- and frame it. Search Froogle.com for "sonogram picture frame."

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Due to a possible complication, I had about 12 ultrasounds throughout my pregnancy. My baby weighed in at nearly 9 pounds, and started using words at 15 months. Apparently the ultrasounds caused no damage (unless refusing to cooperate from time to time is a side effect!)

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I don't believe it causes problems either. During my 3rd pregnancy I had to have and ultrasound once a week for months to measure my fluid levels. My son was a healthy boy weighing in at 10 lbs 8 ounces!

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I have been performing obstetric ultrasound for high risk pregnancies for almost seven years now and there is no proof that ultrasound causes damage but there have not been any studies done to intentionally cause damage, due to the fact that the FETUS is human life. There are justified reasons for multiple ultrasound exams, specifically ones where any adverse effect is outweighed by the benefits of a live healthy baby being born. That is what ultrasound technology is for healthcare not entertainment or pretty pictures keep in mind you will soon have your baby home and can take all the pictures you like for the rest of his or her life.

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The fact is, that like with many things, we aren't sure of the long term effects. It's one thing if you are needing repeated ultrasounds during pregnancy due to a high risk pregnancy and completely another to just be having ultrasounds to see your baby over and over and to determine sex. Why take the chance? That is why the FDA does not approve of the ultrasound places that promote the cute little pictures and videos they can do of your baby. Why take the chance of extra exposure? It is like everything else in this country - we want tangible results now.

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I had three ultrasounds while I was pregnant with my youngest daughter. She weighed 8 lbs 1 oz when she was born, 25 years ago! She is in college and on the dean's list.
She did everything EARLY, (except being born 2 weeks late) and has had no trouble from the ultrasounds. I was ill during the pregnancy, and had miscarried the other baby or babies. We're not sure how many I was pregnant with. (That's another story!)

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I was pregnant for twins in 1992 and one of my babies died enutro . I had to have ultrasounds every other week to check my other baby . He is a fine healthy 13 year old boy .

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I suppose, as with anything, we find out more every day. My own experience, however, has been vastly different than any of the long term ramifications that they state may occur with excessive ultrasounds. Because I was over 300 lbs when pregnant with my daughter, I had no less than 20 ultrasounds throughout my pregnancy. Initially because we couldn't hear the heartbeat and then I had NST's and u/s twice a week for about 10 weeks toward the end of my pregnancy. I didn't end up going full term, but I imagine that had she not gone early, I would have had at *least 5 to 10 more. Also, of all those u/s's 5 of them were "Level II" - and one was a 4D - ::::shrugs:::: My daughter was speaking at 9 months - and speaking quite clearly at that.

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You know what? I never had any. I am tired of people trying to shame you into doing things that seem over drastic, fashionable and darned expensive. I had two wonderful and healthy children, like the old days, without knowing what sex, without ultrasounds and without sonograms.
The best part? When the midwife told me what sex my baby was!
And I never once worried about what color to code my child under either, my daughters look great in blue too.
Seems to me it is all about the latest and greatest FASHIONABLE hi tech instrument.
If these things are so infallable, why do we have such an alarminging poor birth rate?

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I'm also an ultrasound tech and this is the most ridiculous story I've ever read...

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I never had one, either, in three pregnancies. I confess to having a prejudice against expensive, unnecessary procedures, so I always asked why one was being suggested.

When I asked why I should have an ultrasound, I was told "to confirm my dates". Given that I knew to within 24 hours when conception had occurred, that one wasn't compelling. "To check for neural tube defects", but since the only option they had to offer if one was discovered was termination, and since the odds of that were slight and I knew I wouldn't choose termination anyway, I declined. To find out the sex of the child is simply frivolous, to my mind, and doesn't justify the expense - even if it's only an expense to the taxpayers!

I have since discovered that had a neural tube defect been discerned, I could have chosen a Cesarean to minimize trauma to the spinal cord - that would have been a compelling reason, but I wasn't told that!

So I didn't. Happy surprises all round.

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If these things are so infallable, why do we have such an alarminging poor birth rate?

Posted at 6:55PM on May 20th 2006 by Gail 0 stars

My guess would be because women tend to blindly trust what their Dr.'s tell us. They get induced before they are ready to give birth in able to accomodate the Dr.'s schedule, and by doing so, increase the risk of emergency c-sections - which can often result in a poor outcome - and, in turn, leaves the US with a sickeningly high infant mortality rate.

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I'd like to add that ultrasounds shouldnt be used only to determine sex. "To check dates" is useful because sometimes you can get IUGR - intrauterine growth retardation. Ultrasound gives your doctor an idea of what to expect when you deliver to accomendate the baby's needs. To check for a placental previa, which is life threatening if delivered vaginally. If the baby has a high risk of down's syndrome, to abort it (their choice)or for parents to learn about it to be better prepared. I dont believe in these "ultrasound photo labs." They are not regulated by radiologists or obstetrians. Ultrasound technologists take pictures for diagnostic purposes for a doctor to read and diagnose, not for pictures in an album.

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I had three ultrasounds. The first after I fell of my bike, the second when I was 8 months, and the third two days before my daughter was born. I didn't really want a lot of ultrasounds because I don't think they are very clear. I wanted the heartbeat monitor, I liked listening to it while I was at the doctors.

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I was dropped on my head twice as a baby and I turned out fine. Therefore, it is fine for me to drop my baby on its head.

Not.

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Viki and Natalie. So you're around ultrasounds quite a bit, fine. This doesn't change the fact that ultrasounds have been proven to change the cell structure of a fetus. Period. The end. Just because you and others (much more qualified than you) don't know how that plays out in the long run doesn't mean there aren't harmful side effects.

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Way to scare the crap out of me! My son is now 3 and has a speech delay but we thought it was more because he's learning 2 languages! I had ultrasounds at 6, 10, 15, 19, 28, and 40 weeks so now I'm very nervous. 3 of the ultrasounds were at least an hour in length as we paid for 4d ones.

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I didn't have an ultrasound, and I am so sick of people/doctors saying "we/they just want to make sure things are growing right" "we/they just need to check your dates" I would respond "I just want my student loan paid off" or "I just want a better job"

I would show them this article about ultrasounds ( http://tinyurl.com/pk65e )
and tell them 1) I am sure of my dates and babies come when they are ready (My husband was a 44 week baby) 2) Though I am pro-choice I believe abortion because of disease or defect is wrong 3) Skilled examination is better at detecting IUGR, amniotic fluid levels, and placenta previa (So unless you want to admit you are unskilled because you rely on gadgets...)

(And no... I didn't let them use dopplar either)

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