“If exposure to ultrasound…causes death of cells, then the practice of ultrasonic imaging at 16 to 18 weeks will cause loss of neurons, brain cells, with little prospect of replacement of lost cells. The vulnerability is not for malformation, but maldevelopment, leading to mental impairment caused by overall reduction in the number of functioning brain cells in the future cerebral hemispheres,” as quoted from the article “Possible hazards of imaging and Doppler ultrasounds in obstetrics,” which appeared in the 1986 issue of Birth; vol. 13, pages 329-337.

            Although prenatal ultrasounds, PU, are used to determine sex, age, size, whether multiple pregnancy and position of baby, all of which, for the exception of confirming sex, can be obtained with hands on skills, fetoscopes or stethoscopes, there have been considerable amount of studies over the years, by both the scientific and medical communities, that have indicated the harms of PU.

            In fact, the American Medical Association, the AMA, the Food and Drug Administration, and the FDA, have for years, cautioned parents against unnecessary exposure, such as having them done for the purpose of obtaining a video by a commercial institute.

            Still, whether PU is given by a commercial establishment or a scientific/medical facility, the data has revealed some shocking results.

            In the May 2002 edition of Epidemiology, a summary of the safety of ultrasound on people stated, “There may be a relation between prenatal ultrasound exposure and adverse outcome. Some of the reported effects include growth restrictions, delayed speech, dyslexia and non-right-handedness associated with ultrasound exposure. Continued research is needed to evaluate the potential adverse effects of ultrasound exposure during pregnancy…”

            Further, in the 1987 Experimental Neurology, vol. 98, no.1, pages 78-92, a study showed that in newborn rats, who are at a similar stage of brain development to humans at 4-5 months in utero, that ultrasound can damage the myelin, which covers nerves and which also indicates that the nervous system may be particularly susceptible to damage by PU.

            A study conducted by the American Institute of Ultrasound Medicine Bioeffects, spoke about increase temperature within the tissues of the unborn child.

            In their 1988 report, it was stated how small pockets of gas, which exist in the tissue of humans and other mammals vibrate and then collapse during ultrasounds. When this occurs…”temperature of thousands of degrees Celsius in the gas create a wide range of chemical products, some of which are potentially toxic. These violent processes may be produced by micro-second pulses of the kind which are used in medical diagnosis…”

            Besides the aforementioned reasons people get PU, some obtain one in order to determine whether the unborn baby has any type of maladies. Once this information is obtained, then parents can decide on whether or not to deliver the baby or have an abortion.

            In a 1997 paper presented at the Perinatal Society of Australia and New Zealand, it was cited that 40% of abnormalities, with most being difficult or impossible to detect, were missed by the PU.

            With all of the previous information mentioned, parents need to educate themselves on the decision to have a PU or even the use of Doppler’s. One thing parents can be reassured about is that they are not alone in their doubt about PUs.

            The World Health Organization and the U.S Department of Health and Human Services, also expressed a sort of doubt, when they said in a report that “…..The question of benefit has not yet been resolved and the potential for delayed effects has been virtually ignored.”