Is it Safe to Do Unlimited Sonograms?

A sonogram is a fetal ultrasound used to obtain images of a baby within his mother's uterus. Unlimited use of this procedure is considered safe, although fetal ultrasound equipment should only be used when deemed necessary by a physician.

Function

• According to MayoClinic.com, a sonogram is generally completed during the first trimester of a pregnancy to establish a due date. The procedure is then repeated between weeks 18 and 20, when the fetus is further developed. In high-risk pregnancies, sonograms may be performed more frequently.

Safety Considerations

• According to the CTV News website, scientists are beginning to study the effects of sonograms on fetal brain development. Research conducted at Yale University in New Haven, Connecticut, showed brain abnormalities in mice that were exposed to sonogram waves. But the research team's leader, Dr. Pasko Rakic, said this is not enough evidence to justify the cessation of sonograms for diagnostic purposes.

Warning

• Researcher John Newnham, a medical doctor at the University of Western Australia, King Edward Memorial Hospital, says no developmental differences are apparent between children who were exposed to fetal ultrasounds multiple times while in the womb and the children of women who had only one sonogram throughout their pregnancies. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, however, cautions against unnecessary use of this procedure, and states that ultrasound equipment should only be used when prescribed by a doctor.