Risks of an Ultrasound Scan in Pregnancy
- Danielle
- Jan 29, 2022
- 8 min read
Updated: Feb 5, 2022
Ultrasound (US) was first used for clinical purposes in 1956 in Glasgow. Obstetrician Ian Donald and engineer Tom Brown developed the first prototype systems based on an instrument which was first developed in World War I to hunt submarines, by the 1940s, the technology had been adapted for industrial use to detect flaws in metal structures.
Before we go further I am not a trained doctor or sonographer, these are my findings from my own research which I am sharing with you. As always please explore this further and remember in the end you decide!
What is sonography also known as an ultrasound scan?
Sonography uses high-frequency sound waves, also called ultrasound waves, which bounce off of structures in the body and create an image. It captures a moment in time, based on the echo's it receives.
Transabdominal scan, is used more commonly n pregnancy scans and is carried out by scanning the baby from outside the abdominal walls. A transvaginal ultrasound is when the ultrasound probe is placed inside the vagina during the scan. As with most ‘routine’ check ups Google's top answers will share ‘no known risks’, so we will dig a little deeper!
In the 1920’s before the US, studies were presenting evidence that the use of radiographs (X-Rays) to confirm pregnancy could estimate gestational age, and diagnose fetus and mother bone anomalies. Through the next few decades that followed, reports came forth regarding the concern the the radiographs were causing serious fetal abnormalities. New animal studies were carried out, and it was concluded that the embryo was highly susceptible to developing malformations if exposed to radiation, even at low doses, particularly during 4 to 8 weeks gestation and high doses could cause miscarriage.
The US image offers a window into the uterus, and a location of the placenta which was a gift to diagnose placenta previa, which is when the placenta partially or totally covers the cervix during the last months of pregnancy. Placenta previa is a serious condition as it can lead to severe hemorrhaging. A Cesarean delivery is required for complete placenta previa. In most cases of a low-lying placenta, as the uterus grows, it lifts the placenta as it is attached, and the positioning becomes normal by 20 weeks.
What does the US represent?
Founded by a man to look into the womb of a mother, to tell them if their baby was healthy. The excitement lingers in the articles as there was another to steal power from mothers. From this moment they were able to offer moments in time, echo's of structure which were not 100% accurate, potentially lethal and a way to control the pregnancy.
By the 1970’s the US was widely used as a routine check up and continues today. In the UK you will be offered 2 US usually at 12 and 21 weeks. The key word ‘offered’, NOT a compulsory intervention.
There is a spell which surrounds us, one which keeps us blinded from our own intuition and healing wisdom. It is so deeply ingrained that there is need for an external source to tell us if we are healthy or not, and even with all of this information, we have to unravel the lies from our subconscious which stay locked in the body. This information is to shed light and give you information to make a choice that feels right for you. Scan or no scan!
It brings up the practice of informed consent, when we step into that clinic are we really given unbiased information so we can decide? Or are we manipulated to stay in line and make life easier and more profitable for the system we are within?
When we are given our ‘due date’ we may also be handing over control of our pregnancy if we choose to have a registered OBGYN or midwife support us. There is now a date which when crossed may start to put pressure on the mother as there will be a push to induce the labor!
What does it show?
Images of the baby, amniotic sac, placenta (appearance and location), and ovaries
Gestational age
Movement
Breathing and heart rate
Cardiac activity (7-8 weeks)
Fetal number
Fetal size
Presence of normal head, neck, face, spine, chest,
heart, abdomen, abdominal wall, and extremities
Placental appearance and location (more informative after 18 weeks)
Babies weighing too big or too small can cause concern for the birthing team which may lead to unnecessary intervention, if your baby comes earthside weighing a healthy weight. They are not accurate!
We’ve all heard a story where a mother is expecting a boy and they birth to a girl or vice versa, it seems like something so small, but identifying your baby with a gender has been shown to alter the way you interact with them in the womb. Already placing ideals and ideas on them unintentionally and intentionally.
But what if the scan misses something more serious?
Major heart defects go unnoticed until birth an astounding 70 percent of the time. Three-quarters of all babies with missing limbs come as a surprise to both doctors and patients and more than one-half of cases of Down syndrome are overlooked. The list goes on and on.
In cases, such as Down syndrome, ultrasound can't offer a firm diagnosis, only show markers associated with a higher risk of various conditions.
Are you prepared to terminate? If you were given the news of an abnormality would you be prepared to consider the release of the pregnancy? What if the information was incorrect?
One French study conducted in 2014 reported that 8.8% of birth defects picked up by an ultrasound were wholly incorrect (false positive) and that 9.2% were misclassified. The false-positive rate during prenatal ultrasound is not insignificant; these misdiagnoses cause psychological and emotional stress for the parents and over medicalization of the pregnancy and the child.
Placenta Previa
As your cervix opens during labor, it can cause blood vessels that connect the placenta to the uterus to tear. This can lead to bleeding and put both babymama at risk. I mentioned this early on, it is unlikely that you will be asymptomatic from this, although it is possible. Here are signs to look out for:
Bright red bleeding from the vagina during the second half of your pregnancy. It can range from light to heavy, and it's often painless.
Contractions along with the bleeding. You might feel the cramping or tightening that comes with contractions, or feel pressure in your back.
What are the risks?
“There are no known risks to the baby or the mother from having an ultrasound scan, but it's important that you consider carefully whether to have the scan or not. This is because the scan can provide information that may mean you have to make further important decisions.” NHS
Current machines employ significantly stronger signals and are not standardized by any regulations. In the past several decades, ultrasound technology has evolved in terms of peak exposure and intensity (from 46 to 720mW/cm2), and newer versions remain largely unstudied, frequently defective, and without federal requirements for operator training.
The FDA admits that long-term effects of ultrasound “cavitation” are unknown. They self sanction, however, by stating that “medically indicated” ultrasounds performed by
obstetricians allow for benefits that outweigh the risks.
Ultrasound can heat tissues slightly, and in some cases, it can also produce very small bubbles (cavitation) in some tissues,” said FDA biomedical engineer Shahram Vaezy, in a statement. The long-term effects of tissue heating and cavitation are not known. Therefore, ultrasound scans should be done only when there is a medical need, based on a prescription, and performed by appropriately-trained operators.
Jim West who complied the largest research study, which is Unknown or dismissed by western scientists, the hazards of ultrasound have been confirmed in China, since the late 1980s, where thousands of women, volunteering for abortion, these women were exposed to carefully controlled diagnostic ultrasound and prior to the abortion. Assessing brain, kidney, cornea, chorionic villi, and the immune system, researchers determined the amount of ultrasound exposure required to produce damage to the human fetus to be very low. Human studies had found sensitive organs damaged at 1 minute exposure.
I’ve heard people joke about babies hiding during a scan, now I see why. They are moving away from the machine!
The scariest thing I have heard so far is UltraSound Baby Showers!
So, maybe it's not the best but we are all surrounded by hazards... no, we cannot encourage this response. Yes, we live in a world surrounded by a whole buffet of harmful pollutants, but isn't this a good enough reason to question adding another one?
We are humans who can make informed decisions and if we choose an intervention of any kind, we will own it!
If you choose a scan, maybe consider limiting the time and frequency, connect with a trusted provider and talk to you baby and let them know what's happening.
“If we were meant to look inside, the belly would have windows” - unknown
Alternative ways to monitor the health of the baby
Palpating and measuring the abdominal to check height position
Listening to the heart beat
Having a intimate relationship between birth keeper and mother
This is a really great resource:
Spirit.
When we feel a lack of connect to our baby or ourselves it may seem easier or safer to get an external input from someone you have never met.
You have the deepest connection with your baby, to experience it is a different thing. Experiencing it takes the use of our senses.
Meditation, hypnobirthing, yoga, nature, breathing… all can help bring us back to our body and our baby.
My story
Stepping into the cold tiny, unwelcoming clinic in France. The young French doctor barely kept eye contact with me. I felt childlike and anxious. I had no idea what I was about to let myself in for. That week I had spotting and fears that I was losing the baby. At this point I was seeing pregnancy through a different lens. A lens that trusted ignorantly the patriarchal medical system, with their interests in more than just the patient. An industry funded by the government depending on the interventions and medication given.
What exactly would a scan show anyway? What intervention could they do with a 8 week old fetus? May give me a pill to help the pregnancy release? I was truly ignorant to the whole situation, and I think I just wanted some answers and reassurance. This came before surrendering to the journey and becoming still enough to listen to my body. But this is all I knew.
I was told to take off my underwear and lie back, I had no comprehensive information nor was there any informed consent. I disconnected from my body as I lay vulnerable with a young unfriendly doctor between my legs. He inserted a machine into me to take an ultrasound scan of our baby. At one point he even left me to take a call, I was sat staring awkwardly at the nurse, wondering what the fuck was going on?!
He gave me the transvaginal ultrasound scan and a date for my next appointment and blood test. Although the whole ordeal left me feeling dirty, Ilan and I were both over the moon to know she was ok. This was the moment that Ilan fell into his role as a father. I saw his face light up. We had a second check up at 12 weeks and everything was fine. This was the last moment I had any connections with the medical team during my pregnancy….
This post is not meant to offend or scare anyone. This is my experience and my perspective.
I love hearing about new research and your own experience, so please comment below or reach out privately.
Blessings, Danielle
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