Ultrasounds for prenatal photos? Think twice before going ahead

It may seem like a great idea. A first “portrait” of your baby. A chance for you to show others that there really are a little head, heart, hands and feet moving around in your uterus.

I remember the first time I had an ultrasound; it was awe-inspiring to be able to see that little creation that my husband and I had started. At the time, they didn’t give printouts of ultrasounds so we were left with the memories. It was the same with my second, but by the third, we were offered a copy, which I took and pasted into his baby book.

But, what about going and deliberately getting an ultrasound for that perfect first baby photo. Is that a good idea? The medical community doesn’t think so. While ultrasounds are a fabulous invention and are used every day in all realms of medicine, including obstetrics, we still don’t know if long-term exposure to the ultrasounds can or will do any damage to the unborn child.

Consumer Reports on Health, a newsletter published monthly by Consumer Union, does not recommend this practice, cautioning expecting parents not to take a chance with the prenatal videos. You can read more about the issue in this article: Prenatal (Ultrasound) Portraits Considered Unsafe.

Image: Newscom

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