Go easy on the ultrasound, pregnant mothers warned

Health experts are warning parents against the indiscriminate use of ultrasound devices for capturing the images of their unborn babies, saying this may be harmful to their offspring’s health.

In a health forum, Dr. Ricardo Quintos, president of the Philippine Society of Ultrasound in Clinical Medicine (PSUCM), said ultrasound procedures use sound energy to trace the images of the fetus, adding that such procedures could be risky for the baby.

"Any type of energy, when used inappropriately, will have bad effects — especially if used on babies who are at the stage of developing (their sense of) sound," he added.

The PSUCM issued the warning as it observed the growing popularity of using the ultrasound procedure to take pictures of unborn babies.

"Ultrasound has specific indications for use, which does not include taking pictures of baby inside the womb solely for keepsake or memorabilia purposes," Quintos said.

The use of ultrasound during pregnancy is generally prescribed to monitor the progression of pregnancy and to detect abnormalities in high-risk pregnancies. For low-risk pregnancies, ultrasound may not be recommended at all.

The PSUCM estimates that, while only 20 to 28 percent of all pregnancies are considered to be high-risk, up to 75 percent of pregnant women undergo ultrasound procedures.

"Even if ultrasound has been shown to be a relatively safe imaging procedure, it is still a form of energy that is applied to the human tissue and the formative fetus," Quintos said. "We still do not know exactly what long term effects may come out of imprudent use of this form of energy."

The PSUCM also expressed concern over the proliferation of ultrasound devices in some commercial centers in Metro Manila.

Quintos said expecting parents should be cautious in patronizing such ultrasound clinics, because only qualified doctors should perform ultrasound procedures and interpret the results of such procedures.