More Evidence About the Possible Dangers of Ultrasound

Year after year, the evidence keeps mounting, and yet, I am hearing about women having more and more ultrasounds during their pregnancy. This week, I came across an article in "Midwifery Today" about problems with sound and heat in prenatal ultrasounds. I'll jump through all the jargon and technicalities and just lay it on the line.

If you've ever had an ultrasound -- and who hasn't? -- the technician likely had to keep moving the transducer to keep up the baby. Did it ever cross your mind that perhaps your baby is trying to get away from the sound of the ultrasound? In 2001, research found, when placing a miniature hydrophone in a woman's uterus, the sound from an ultrasound to be "as loud as a subway train coming into the station." Recent research has found the same. High levels of heat are also associated with ultrasound.

A rise in temperature can cause damage to the baby's central nervous system. Repeated exposure shows that elevated heat caused by ultrasound damages fetal brains in other mammals, with the assumption that it can harm human brains as well. I just have to go back to the dramatic rise in autism in the last decade. Personally, I do not believe this is a coincidence. I believe that it is related to ultrasound.

The FDA and a number of medical associations have repeatedly advised against nonmedical or "keepsake" ultrasound portrait studios in local malls across the United States. There are a number of problems with these: The risks are possibly higher at these type of establishments because of the higher acoustic output required for high-definition images. Also, these sessions tend to be longer because the technicians are searching for suitable images. The technicians may or may not have a medical background or even appropriate training.

There is no way to tell if your baby will be affected adversely by ultrasound. Really, consider the reason for the ultrasound. What will you do with the results? Will it make a difference, regardless of what it tells you? Ultimately, is ultrasound worth the risks?