Most future parents today want to know their baby’s gender and see the little one in his mother’s womb. This might not be such a great idea because too many ultrasounds can affect babies’ health, according to FDA.
The FDA announcement claimed that ultrasounds warm the tissues and the long haul impacts of this side effect are not really known. What is known for sure is that ultrasounds can lead to the creation of little bubbles in some tissues. This process of “bubble creation” is called cavitation. But the FDA does not have a clear answer regarding the ‘bubble effect’ in the long run.
Sources around the U.S. state that numerous private health centers are concealing pictures and videos taken with ultrasounds. Also, these clinics are alleged to give parents 3D images called 4D imaging. At the moment, authorities say that too much ultrasound exposure might have a negative impact on babies’ health, but failed to bring evidence to support the statement. The bottom line is that parents are advised to be aware of the circumstances that might affect their future child.
More exactly, the FDA warning just states that since the side effects of ultrasounds are yet to be elucidated, future parents should better avoid these types of scans as much as possible. In other words the scans should only be performed in case of a medical emergency.
A similar cautioning was released earlier in 2014 in Canada by the Society of Obstetricians and Gynecologists of Canada (SOGC) and the Canadian Association of Radiologists. They basically said “entertainment” ultrasounds scans should be avoided.
Their release was even more vague saying that by submitting future mothers to ultrasounds, the babies are vulnerable to what they called ‘targeted energy’. Again, the effects are unclear. The statement just said the procedure conveys a hypothetical risk of health.
Additionally, they also pointed fingers at private clinics saying that the personnel there might have not been adequately trained or that there is no assurance that the ultrasounds equipment is sterilized every time.
In U.S. the FDA has also advised future parents not to purchase and use the Doppler ultrasound heartbeat monitors, available on the market. According to FDA biomedical engineer Shahram Vaezy, these scan equipment is a medical device and as such should only be used in the presence of a medical specialist. Shahram Vaezy pointed that, if the equipment is not obtained legally and is utilized in the absence of a doctor, nobody will know if the device was used properly, especially since the screens might not bring any medical advantage.
Image Source: dbabyworld