A growing number of ultrasound boutiques with catchy names such as "A Peek in the Pod" and "Womb With a View" are sending more expecting moms flocking to get a glimpse of their unborn children. These high-definition ultrasounds that show detailed features of body parts such as eyebrows, noses, lips and ears come at a steep price of a few hundred dollars for a 90-minute session.
Safety Concerns
Ultrasound boutique owners proposed enforcing further regulation as the answer to concerns regarding the safety issues, rather than closing down the facilities altogether. On the contrary, opponents stressed that medical necessity should be a prerequisite as a part of risk assessment before performing these ultrasounds.
ABC News July 1, 2004
A growing number of officials worry these elective ultrasound exams, some of which are even done in shopping malls, are potentially dangerous. Even the FDA has warned about these prenatal ultrasounds. Even back in 2001 I posted an article linking prenatal ultrasounds to brain damage in babies, and it is hard to imagine why anyone would want to risk this severe side effect for "entertainment" purposes.
These ultrasounds are not a required part of prenatal care and are solely for the purpose of making profits.
Unfortunately, the moms-to-be who get caught up in these kinds of marketing ploys are putting their unborn children's health at risk. There are enough existing health risks associated with pregnancy and visiting one of these ultrasound boutiques is an unnecessary and voluntary risk you don't want to add to your list.
If you are concerned about prenatal care and want to do all you can for the health of your unborn or young infant, here are my top suggestions:
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