1st Trimester

Ultrasound bad for baby?

I was told recently that too many ultrasounds are bad for baby by a nurse (a friend, and she doesn't work in maternity or baby field). This was after I had my 2nd U/S for this pregnancy. I had 4-5 with each of my other two children and my OB says not to worry about it. I still have the NT and anatomy scans coming up. I don't think there's any danger, but this person insists that I shouldn't have that many. I'm not worried, but just curious if anyone else has heard this or if there is anything to back her statement?

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C  7.16.2008 | L  11.12.2010 | A  3.18.2013

 

Re: Ultrasound bad for baby?

  • Huh. I've never heard that. Did she have a reason for thinking that way?
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  • Yes, sorry, I forgot to mention the reason. She believes that the ultrasound waves can cause long term behavioral problems in children, apparently shown in studies on rats.

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    C  7.16.2008 | L  11.12.2010 | A  3.18.2013

     

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  • I heard this, also.... I think it may have been a study on the ultrasounds that women were getting for breast cancer though, and then they mentioned pregnancy in the same article... let me see if I can find the link again.

    I had heard the same thing as  your friend, that many ultrasounds is not good for the baby, and that they should only be done if really needed. I know a lot of women only have them done at 20 weeks and then once more later if medically necessary... that's really all that is needed. But take that with a grain of salt until I can find the study that I had read...

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  • I did some online research and yes some medical professionals say it is harmful b/c the sound waves are so strong.  Google it and get some more info.  I don't believe everything my dr tells me and just do what is medically necessary. 
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  • So I can't find the article, but I did find a million links that say multiple ultrasounds are fine for the baby (including webmd) :) So I think you're ok!
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  • imageJenS2203:
    Yes, sorry, I forgot to mention the reason. She believes that the ultrasound waves can cause long term behavioral problems in children, apparently shown in studies on rats.


    Yeah. I think this is bull.


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  • If you look it up on google scholar you're likely to get reputable articles/journals regarding the subject. I've read things like that online before too, but only people talking about it. I didn't care enough to dig around.

    I figure if medically necessary, do it. If it's just to look at the baby then don't do it.

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  • imagesararn2004:

    If you look it up on google scholar you're likely to get reputable articles/journals regarding the subject. I've read things like that online before too, but only people talking about it. I didn't care enough to dig around.

    I figure if medically necessary, do it. If it's just to look at the baby then don't do it.

    This is pretty much how I feel.  From what I have read they can not prove or disprove long term side effects from ultrasounds.   

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  • I have heard that also, but I don't know if it is true or not.
  • Hopefully not true as I am having twins and get ultrasounds twice a month.  Indifferent
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  • I have heard this, but I do not believe it to be true, from personal experience.

    With my first pregnancy, we had many, many ultrasounds. Two in the very beginning, 2 weeks apart, to check viability because I was so early for the 1st that we did not see a heartbeat. 1 at 12 weeks for the NT scan. 1 again at 16 weeks; this was when we found out her gender. 1 again at 20 weeks. Then at my 24 weeks I had reported decreased fetal movement, so they did an NST to check on her. During the NST her heartrate plummeted, so they did an u/s then. She seemed perfectly fine and they figured it was probably because she was playing with her cord and had "clamped" it off for a moment.. but since they didn't know for sure, they ordered weekly NST's and BPP's to keep an eye on her. So from 24 weeks to 38 weeks (when she was born, healthy as can be.) I had an ultrasound every week. Total 20 u/s's. She is perfectly healthy, very intelligent, and very well behaved.

     I've had numerous ultrasounds with all of my children (though not as many as with my 1st) and they are all perfectly fine. :)

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  • imagemommajewels87:

    I have heard this, but I do not believe it to be true, from personal experience.

    With my first pregnancy, we had many, many ultrasounds. Two in the very beginning, 2 weeks apart, to check viability because I was so early for the 1st that we did not see a heartbeat. 1 at 12 weeks for the NT scan. 1 again at 16 weeks; this was when we found out her gender. 1 again at 20 weeks. Then at my 24 weeks I had reported decreased fetal movement, so they did an NST to check on her. During the NST her heartrate plummeted, so they did an u/s then. She seemed perfectly fine and they figured it was probably because she was playing with her cord and had "clamped" it off for a moment.. but since they didn't know for sure, they ordered weekly NST's and BPP's to keep an eye on her. So from 24 weeks to 38 weeks (when she was born, healthy as can be.) I had an ultrasound every week. Total 20 u/s's. She is perfectly healthy, very intelligent, and very well behaved.

     I've had numerous ultrasounds with all of my children (though not as many as with my 1st) and they are all perfectly fine. :)

     

    Thanks for detailing your experience.  It made me feel better! 

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  • sonigrams have been around long enough I would think if there was legit harm being done the research would be more conclusive.

    My personal opinion todays abundance of behavior problems are more due to lack of parenting, than actual disorders....

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  • Studies have shown that repeat ultrasound exposure changes tissue makeup, however none of the studies have shown that this is harmful in any way. On the flip side, no studies have shown that repeat ultrasounds are completely safe either. To be safe, I would avoid unneeded US. An anatomy scan between 16-20 weeks is really all that is remotely necessary. I, myself, will not be having any ultrasounds this go round, but I'm quite crunchy and also planning a home birth after 2 cesareans. 
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  • No. U/S's are safe. 
  • Thank you all for your responses! I think I'll have a better point of view when/if she and I talk about it again. There doesn't seem to be a whole lot of proof either way, but I feel pretty comfortable with the scans I've had and the ones I have coming up. Thanks again.

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    C  7.16.2008 | L  11.12.2010 | A  3.18.2013

     

  • imagemommajewels87:

    I have heard this, but I do not believe it to be true, from personal experience.

    With my first pregnancy, we had many, many ultrasounds. Two in the very beginning, 2 weeks apart, to check viability because I was so early for the 1st that we did not see a heartbeat. 1 at 12 weeks for the NT scan. 1 again at 16 weeks; this was when we found out her gender. 1 again at 20 weeks. Then at my 24 weeks I had reported decreased fetal movement, so they did an NST to check on her. During the NST her heartrate plummeted, so they did an u/s then. She seemed perfectly fine and they figured it was probably because she was playing with her cord and had "clamped" it off for a moment.. but since they didn't know for sure, they ordered weekly NST's and BPP's to keep an eye on her. So from 24 weeks to 38 weeks (when she was born, healthy as can be.) I had an ultrasound every week. Total 20 u/s's. She is perfectly healthy, very intelligent, and very well behaved.

     I've had numerous ultrasounds with all of my children (though not as many as with my 1st) and they are all perfectly fine. :)

    I can top that ;)

    I had one a week from 3w (before we knew) to 32 weeks. At 32 weeks, I started 2x weekly BPPs. Add three growth scans, two fetal echos, three amnios (couldn't get fluid 2x), and two level II ultrasounds, and that's a whole lotta ultrasounds. Girlfriend is just fine. :)

    I had a bunch, but not quite that many, with her brother, too. I wouldn't worry all that much.

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  • imageMrsMoody2006:
    Studies have shown that repeat ultrasound exposure changes tissue makeup, however none of the studies have shown that this is harmful in any way. On the flip side, no studies have shown that repeat ultrasounds are completely safe either. To be safe, I would avoid unneeded US. An anatomy scan between 16-20 weeks is really all that is remotely necessary. I, myself, will not be having any ultrasounds this go round, but I'm quite crunchy and also planning a home birth after 2 cesareans. 

    In a normal, healthy pregnancy.

    Don't forget there are plenty of women who have potentially life-threatening issues and need extra monitoring and u/s to ensure their health and that of their baby. I had 1 u/s to rule out an ectopic when I was having pain on my right side early in pregnancy (I'd call that a good reason), and then in a few weeks will start getting more frequent u/s to look for cord notching because I had HELLP with DD. Depending on your situation, the potential risk of multiple u/s (which hasn't been proven) is worth it if there is a risk of serious health complications not being caught soon enough without frequent u/s.

    All I'm saying is that you should be careful making such generalizing statements because it's not true for everyone that one ultrasound is all that is "remotely necessary."


    BFP1: DD1 born April 2011 at 34w1d via unplanned c/s due to HELLP, DVT 1 week PP
    BFP2: 3/18/12, blighted ovum, natural m/c @ 7w4d
    BFP3: DD2 born Feb 2013 at 38w4d via unplanned RCS due to uterine dehiscence

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