Are ultrasounds safe during pregnancy?

Ultrasounds have become a rather common occurrence these days with obstetricians scheduling at least three in the duration of a pregnancy. It’s generally considered safe and is an ideal way of detecting defects and other problems that can possibly occur during a pregnancy. However, just as with every medical procedure, there are pros and cons that you need to consider especially as it involves the health of both the mother and the baby.

Pros

  • Ultrasounds help in detecting various problems such as an ectopic pregnancy and diagnoses other defects such as spina bifida

  • With the help of an ultrasound doctors can tell you whether you have multiple fetuses in your uterus

  • Doctors can assess the growth of the baby and find out if all the organs are developing normally

  • Doctors can also check the position of the placenta and measure the amount of amniotic fluid present in the uterus

  • Doctors can give a slightly more accurate date of delivery with the help of an ultrasound scan.

  • Ultrasounds can help detect a condition called placenta previa where the placenta is implanted in the lower part of a woman’s uterus and can cause bleeding in the third trimester

Cons

  • Since an ultrasound works by transmitting sound waves into your tissues, it could possible create increase in blood flow and temperature in the tissues

  • Numerous ultrasounds can sometimes increase the chances of miscarriage and can even cause preterm labor

  • There’s also the off chance that the ultrasound machine is defective and could release a higher dose of ultrasound waves to your baby which can cause quite a bit of harm

  • Sometimes scan results can cause a lot of anxiety to the pregnant woman and her family and this increases the stress levels considerably

However, you do need to remember that most ultrasound scans are useful and can give helpful information to your obstetrician so they know what to expect.  If you’re pregnant and you have been scheduled a scan by your practitioner, the best option would be to go for it but not make a habit of it. Constantly taking ultrasound scans cannot possibly be good for the baby. Moderation is the key here.