In this modern race of narcissism & ego-boasting, a selfie stick may not harm you or your loved ones as much as collecting souvenir pregnancy ultrasound scans.
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Souvenir scans of the unborn baby should not be carried out in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, say doctors.
Such keepsake images are shown off by proud parents-to-be, who can buy special wallets & photo frames to mark every stage of pregnancy.
But new advice from the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists rules against the growing trend when there is no medical reason for doing an early-stage scan.
A new scientific review says ultrasound – which uses high-frequency sound waves to provide images of the foetus – could expose it to unknown risks.
Although there is no evidence of harm, the ‘precautionary principle’ should apply, it says.
Dr. Christoph Lees, Reader in Obstetrics & Fetal Medicine at Imperial College London & lead author of the paper said the review looked specifically at the first 10 weeks in the womb.
Normally a scan would be ordered only for a potential problem identified by a clinician & in those circumstances it was perfectly safe, he said.
But an increasing number of clinics were offering keepsake images from as early as 6 weeks, he said.
He said: ‘Ultrasound scanning in the embryonic period is an invaluable resource in several important scenarios where the embryo is at possible risk.
‘There are presently no grounds for questioning the safety of diagnostic ultrasound in this context.
‘However, ultrasound imaging is increasingly being used without obvious medical justification & we have to be aware of the possibility of subtle long-term adverse effects, particularly in the first weeks of gestation when the embryo is potentially the most vulnerable.’
The review was produced by the Scientific Advisory Committee at the RCOG to provide doctors with up-to-date information about the issue.
The US Food & Drug Administration issued similar advice in December, saying excess ultrasound at any stage in pregnancy should be avoided.
Dr. Lees said one of the possible harms might come from the slight heating effect produced by ultrasound which was more easily dissipated by the placenta after 10 weeks of pregnancy.
He said the safest period for taking souvenir scans was 20 weeks of pregnancy & beyond.
The review highlights the various types of ultrasound, including B-mode – the most commonly used form of ultrasound in obstetrics – colour & pulse wave Doppler.
Colour & pulsed wave Doppler involve greater average intensity & power outputs than B-mode & are not recommended at all during the first 10 weeks.
Additionally, there has been a move to perform 3D & 4D ultrasound scans earlier in pregnancy, states the paper.
4D ultrasound is ‘real time’ scanning & involves higher power outputs as the scanning time is longer, typically by several minutes, & should not be the sole purpose of souvenir images or video recordings in early pregnancy.
Dr. Sadaf Ghaem-Maghami, chair of the RCOG’s Scientific Advisory Committee, said ‘B-mode ultrasound used for clinical reasons from conception to 10 weeks of gestation is safe & the benefits outweigh any theoretical risks.
‘We are adopting a precautionary approach & are highlighting the small but possible risks to women so that they can make informed choices.
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Souvenir scans of the unborn baby should not be carried out in the first 10 weeks of pregnancy, say doctors.
Such keepsake images are shown off by proud parents-to-be, who can buy special wallets & photo frames to mark every stage of pregnancy.
But new advice from the Royal College of Obstetricians & Gynaecologists rules against the growing trend when there is no medical reason for doing an early-stage scan.
A new scientific review says ultrasound – which uses high-frequency sound waves to provide images of the foetus – could expose it to unknown risks.
Although there is no evidence of harm, the ‘precautionary principle’ should apply, it says.
Dr. Christoph Lees, Reader in Obstetrics & Fetal Medicine at Imperial College London & lead author of the paper said the review looked specifically at the first 10 weeks in the womb.
Normally a scan would be ordered only for a potential problem identified by a clinician & in those circumstances it was perfectly safe, he said.
But an increasing number of clinics were offering keepsake images from as early as 6 weeks, he said.
He said: ‘Ultrasound scanning in the embryonic period is an invaluable resource in several important scenarios where the embryo is at possible risk.
‘There are presently no grounds for questioning the safety of diagnostic ultrasound in this context.
‘However, ultrasound imaging is increasingly being used without obvious medical justification & we have to be aware of the possibility of subtle long-term adverse effects, particularly in the first weeks of gestation when the embryo is potentially the most vulnerable.’
The review was produced by the Scientific Advisory Committee at the RCOG to provide doctors with up-to-date information about the issue.
The US Food & Drug Administration issued similar advice in December, saying excess ultrasound at any stage in pregnancy should be avoided.
Dr. Lees said one of the possible harms might come from the slight heating effect produced by ultrasound which was more easily dissipated by the placenta after 10 weeks of pregnancy.
He said the safest period for taking souvenir scans was 20 weeks of pregnancy & beyond.
The review highlights the various types of ultrasound, including B-mode – the most commonly used form of ultrasound in obstetrics – colour & pulse wave Doppler.
Colour & pulsed wave Doppler involve greater average intensity & power outputs than B-mode & are not recommended at all during the first 10 weeks.
Additionally, there has been a move to perform 3D & 4D ultrasound scans earlier in pregnancy, states the paper.
4D ultrasound is ‘real time’ scanning & involves higher power outputs as the scanning time is longer, typically by several minutes, & should not be the sole purpose of souvenir images or video recordings in early pregnancy.
Dr. Sadaf Ghaem-Maghami, chair of the RCOG’s Scientific Advisory Committee, said ‘B-mode ultrasound used for clinical reasons from conception to 10 weeks of gestation is safe & the benefits outweigh any theoretical risks.
‘We are adopting a precautionary approach & are highlighting the small but possible risks to women so that they can make informed choices.
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