FDA Warns Against Unnecessary 'Keepsake' Ultrasounds in Pregnancy

The U.S. Food and Drug Administration issued a warning against indulging in over the counter procedures of ultrasound for keepsakes photos  and videos. 

The agency warns that the procedure needs to be done by trained health care professionals and going to commercial establishments set up in malls and such places can be dangerous.

"Although there is a lack of evidence of any harm due to ultrasound imaging and heartbeat monitors, prudent use of these devices by trained health care providers is important," says Shahram Vaezy, an FDA biomedical engineer, in the update. "Ultrasound can heat tissues slightly, and in some cases, it can also produce very small bubbles (cavitation) in some tissues."

It has become a fad among some expecting parents to organise "ultrasound parties" or viewing sessions where friends and family gather to view the fetus and commercial establishment are offering such facilities without proper checks. Sometimes the procedure is carried on for over an hour, which is totally unnecessary.

Ultrasound scans should be done only when there is a medical need, based on a prescription, and performed by appropriately-trained operators, says the FDA.

Fetal ultrasound imaging provides real-time images of the fetus. Doppler fetal ultrasound heartbeat monitors are hand-held ultrasound devices that let you listen to the heartbeat of the fetus.  .