Multiple Ultrasounds
Pumpkin_Princess
member
I don't post over here often, but I thought that maybe you ladies could help. Does anyone know of any scientific studies addressing the safety of multiple ultrasounds? I've had 4 already (in the ER at 4 weeks, NT scan, anatomy scan, and a growth scan). My MW wants to send me for another growth scan in 2 weeks, and she says that they do them every 3 weeks after that. That's potentially 3 more scans, and I'm a bit leery about it. I asked her if it was safe to keep zapping the baby and she said, "Well there aren't any studies that say it's not safe." That's not the same as saying that it is safe, so I don't know what to do.
Oh, the reason that she wants to keep sending me for scans is because I have been measuring (with a tape measure) 4-7 weeks ahead. I know that the scans can be off by 0.5-1 pound either way, so I asked my MW if the scan could be wrong. She said, "Well she doesn't feel small." I'm nervous now because I'm afraid that I'm going to get to 40 weeks with a 12lb baby and end up with a c-section. If that's the case, then I think that I would rather know ahead of time and maybe get my membranes stripped or some other natural induction method early so that I can deliver vaginally. Would you ladies get the scans?
Re: Multiple Ultrasounds
Was your LO on-track, size-wise, at your most recent growth scan? If so I'd ask why you couldn't wait until 38 weeks to do another. She won't (and definitely shouldn't, for any reason) be talking induction before 39 weeks anyway, so I'm unsure what information she'd be looking for between now and then.
Lid suggest having another scan between 38-39 weeks (only if you want to) and if LO is still somewhere near on track, just let him/her come on his/her own.
I would likely ask to have the next scan later, if possible. I don't think u/s itself is harmful.
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I usually would say no to more u/s, but if your baby has been consistently measuring large, I would get one around now so you have an earlier point of reference. The later it is, the less accurate it'll be.
You might have high amniotic fluid levels or something. And just because she might be measuring big, doesn't mean induction is the best bet. Induction isn't recommended for suspected macrosomia.
I wouldn't worry about having too many u/s either. I dunno, I never had many during either of my pregnancies, but meh.
DS2 - Oct 2010 (my VBAC baby!)
I had a similar circumstance because my DD has a heart defect that they identified prenatally, and the pediatric cardiologist I saw wanted me to come in for fetal echocardiograms every four weeks. Echos are ultrasounds. However, there really wasn't much he could do with that information so I decided to get just three echos ... the first, diagnostic one at 20 weeks, a second one at 28 weeks and the final one at about 36 weeks.
Growth scans every three weeks sound frequent to me ... So the question is whether you can spread them out and still get the necessary information. The question of whether you need that information at all is really up to you.
This article has a lot of links to various studies regarding ultrasound:
https://chriskresser.com/natural-childbirth-iib-ultrasound-not-as-safe-as-commonly-thought
I dunno. There really haven't been any reliable, long term studies on the safety of prenatal ultrasounds, so we just don't know. From the 1920's through to the 1950's, routine use of x-rays in pregnancy to check for size and abnormalities was considered safe and normal. It wasn't until a study in 1955 linked an increase in childhood leukemia to the mothers having been x-rayed during pregnancy. So for thirty odd years, babies were radiated and everyone thought it was perfectly safe. So with ultrasound, I just don't think we know yet.
When my mom was pregnant in with me in 1980, she had one ultrasound at 20 weeks, and many women she knew had none. It's just becoming so common now and it makes sense that the potential for overuse and harm is there.
Also, the odds of your ending up with a 12 pound baby are really slim. I wouldn't worry and if it was me, I'd skip the scans. That said, I've chosen not to have any ultrasounds done in my 33 weeks of pregnancy, so of course I'd skip them
FWIW, DS1 is a very happy and healthy 16 month old and I have no concerns about this LO as well.
If your medical provider believes there is a need, and you agree with their practices, rest well knowing you are doing the best thing for you and your baby.
The problem with all the drugs and ultrasounds that surround pregnancy and birth is that in the short term they do look safe. We have healthy, active babies and everything is good. But look at medical info now. People don't wake up at 55 and have cancer, it started with one mutated cell that grew, reproduced, changed again, etc. What we do and are exposed to early in life can cause long term issues. So they may never say ultrasounds carry no risks, after 50 years of life everything is a correlation and you couldn't pinpoint ultrasound use inutero with something like that. They could with x-rays. Those kids were under 7 and the probability of x-rays being the cause was more easiliy determined.
I'm a sonographer and repeat ultrasounds are very safe. The system is set to keep transmit power to a minimum on OB studies. I personally had a high risk pregnancy with my son and I was scanned every 2 weeks my first two trimesters and then weekly the last. But at the end of the day, it is what YOU are comfortable with.