Are ultrasounds dangerous? I know that most pregnant women look forward to their periodic ultrasound checkups. Doctors use them to check fetal development and movement and to look for signs of birth defects, but it's especially exciting for the parents because it yields the first printed images of their baby and information about its sex.
Lately, independent ultrasound centers have sprung up around the country offering even more frequent scans as a way to cash-in on the anticipation and excitement new parents feel about their developing baby. But they may be doing more harm than good.
Yale University researchers have shown that prolonged use of fetal ultrasound may cause brain abnormalities.
In their study of 335 unborn mice, Yale scientists showed that ultrasound waves can interfere with the migration of neurons, a necessary developmental process that leads to the assignment of a specific function to brain cells. The researchers found that mice exposed to 30 minutes or more of ultrasound experienced a small but significant migration of brain neurons to improper places in the brain, resulting in impaired brain function.
While no one is saying that the ultrasounds given under the advice and supervision of a physician should be stopped, the study does raise concerns about non-medical use of ultrasound. Researchers say more study is needed on animals whose brains more closely resemble that of humans. Sources:
"Prenatal exposure to ultrasound waves impacts neuronal migration in mice," Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, 2006 103: 12903-12910 |
