# When did ultrasounds in pregnancy become common? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [March 21, 2012, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-ultrasounds-in-pregnancy-become-common/616415 "2012-03-21T16:20:25Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 13\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![elfkin477](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/a9a28c/32.png) [@elfkin477](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/elfkin477)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 1:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-ultrasounds-in-pregnancy-become-common/616415/21 "2012-03-22T01:03:15Z")
My brother was born in 1983 and my mom refused to let them do one, which they claimed was becoming routine, because of cost & not being sure it was safe. They tired to twist her arm saying “what if it’s twins? Don’t you want to be prepared?” (lil bro was over 10lbs, so their concern wasn’t entirely unwarranted) It might have been more persuasive if she hadn’t been more than 8 months along when they first brought it up. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 1:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-ultrasounds-in-pregnancy-become-common/616415/22 "2012-03-22T01:46:38Z")
My first child was born in '82 and my wife had an ultrasound. It was common enough but there was still some fear that it wasn’t quite as safe as it was supposed to be. The OB did a long (and I guess very standard) explanation of what it was, how it worked, possible risks, why she didn’t think those risks were all that risky and all that stuff. ---
**Author:** ![Cazzle](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cazzle/32/75_2.png) [@Cazzle](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cazzle)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-ultrasounds-in-pregnancy-become-common/616415/23 "2012-03-22T01:52:21Z")
Mum says there were no ultrasounds here in '76 when I was born, but they were available in '79 when my brother was born. They were still new enough that hospital staff were crowding in to watch. ---
**Author:** ![Zsofia](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/7bcc69/32.png) [@Zsofia](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Zsofia)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 2:04am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-ultrasounds-in-pregnancy-become-common/616415/24 "2012-03-22T02:04:11Z")
There’s an ultrasound in my baby book, although as far as I can tell it’s an 80’s TV turned to a dead channel. That would be 1979 (I was born in February of 1980, in Columbia, SC.) ETA - it was evidently pretty standard here, although the amnio was not - there was a lot of literature coming out about maternal age and Down’s, and my mom had the amnio with the understanding that my dad did not want to raise a disabled child (although I was amazingly unexpected, as he thought he was infertile and my mom was 38 and my dad 48.) The amnio came back clean and voila. ---
**Author:** ![WhyNot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/w/c77e96/32.png) [@WhyNot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/WhyNot)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2012, 2:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-ultrasounds-in-pregnancy-become-common/616415/25 "2012-03-22T02:26:50Z")
Had an ultrasound with my son ('92), but only because the doctor needed to determine how far along I was to decide if a prescription I’d taken before I knew I was pregnant was likely to have caused birth defects in the fetus. He looked like an alien. Triangle head, huge eyespots (which aren’t really eyes, but the eye sockets in the developing skull.) Little flippers for arms and feet. It was actually a pretty clear ultrasound for the time. My daughter (2004-5) had at least five ultrasounds in the 6 months I was pregnant with her. The coolest was done for an amniocentesis to inject die into the amniotic sac to check for leaks. She had the hiccups first, and the doctor had to wait until she settled down. Then when he inserted the needle, she reached for it! He moved it right quick so she couldn’t grab it, but seeing that made me feel a lot better that she was strong and healthy. That procedure had every Intern, Resident and both OB Attendings crowded into a little radiology room with us! And yes, the picture was so much clearer than in the 90s! ---
**Author:** ![jinxjim](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/8edcca/32.png) [@jinxjim](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jinxjim)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 1:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-ultrasounds-in-pregnancy-become-common/616415/26 "2016-03-22T13:11:24Z")
Apologises for resurrecting an old thread, but as Google brought me here so I though others might land here and I wanted to share my history. My mum had an accident when she was 5 months pregnant of me and was rushed to the hospital where the doctors told her they couldn’t hear my heart beat and I had to be removed as it would risk her life. She went to her family doctor who told her the same. My Dad had an administrative position in a research hospital and he new they had received this new machine for research that could take images of foetus in the womb. My Dad asked the people in charge if they could use in on my mum. That was in Sao Paulo, Brazil in 1963 and I am alive thanks to modern technology. I know the OP asked when it become common and this answer does not reply the post - just thought let people know that since the equipment was available since early 60’s and I am living proof of its miracle, but like others point out was used in some rare cases as there were suspicious about sending waves to an unborn baby. ---
**Author:** ![bob\_2](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bob_2/32/3341_2.png) [@bob\_2](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bob_2)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 4:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-ultrasounds-in-pregnancy-become-common/616415/27 "2016-03-22T16:16:03Z")
I found this: > [@](#): > > Ultrasound 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 used to detect industrial flaws in ships. > > They perfected its clinical use, and by the end of the 1950s, ultrasound was routinely used in Glasgow hospitals, Nicolson said. But it didn’t really take off in British hospitals until the 1970s, and it was well into the 1970s before it became widely used in American hospitals > **[5 Fascinating Facts About Fetal Ultrasounds](https://www.livescience.com/32071-history-of-fetal-ultrasound.html)** > > A new book explores the history of ultrasound in pregnancy, from its beginnings in Glasgow, Scotland, to its ubiquitous use today. ---
**Author:** ![MLS](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/919ad9/32.png) [@MLS](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MLS)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 4:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-ultrasounds-in-pregnancy-become-common/616415/28 "2016-03-22T16:35:23Z")
My daughters were born in 1972 and 1976 and neither was ultrasounded. I had another pregnancy in between that they were going to ultrasound to better estimate the conception and due date, but I miscarried before that could happen. My younger daughter has 3 children and had u/s for all three. In fact, she still has the u/s prints on the fridge door! ---
**Author:** ![araminty](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/b5e925/32.png) [@araminty](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/araminty)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 4:59pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-ultrasounds-in-pregnancy-become-common/616415/29 "2016-03-22T16:59:34Z")
I was born in 1981, in Australia, and I’m sure my mum had at least 2 ultrasounds - one earlier on, when she was told she had one enormous baby, and another, six days before I was born, in which my identical twin was first identified. Surprise! I’m surprised that ultrasound may have been considered damaging or unsafe… it’s just sound waves. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-ultrasounds-in-pregnancy-become-common/616415/30 "2016-03-22T18:18:43Z")
1970s in the US. Earlier in some other countries. [The History of Fetal Ultrasound | Pregnancy Imaging | Live Science](http://www.livescience.com/32071-history-of-fetal-ultrasound.html) ---
**Author:** ![Nava](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/da6949/32.png) [@Nava](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Nava)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-ultrasounds-in-pregnancy-become-common/616415/31 "2016-03-22T20:22:11Z")
Late 70s for Spain, based on family history. Pamplona’s university hospital got the machine in mid-'76 and it was the first or second one in the country. ---
**Author:** ![DrCube](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a3d4f5/32.png) [@DrCube](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DrCube)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-ultrasounds-in-pregnancy-become-common/616415/32 "2016-03-22T21:17:16Z")
> [@araminty](#): > > I’m surprised that ultrasound may have been considered damaging or unsafe… it’s just sound waves. People are still afraid of living under power lines. It’s just EM waves. ---
**Author:** ![spamforbrains](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/e274bd/32.png) [@spamforbrains](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/spamforbrains)\ **Post date:** [March 22, 2016, 9:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-ultrasounds-in-pregnancy-become-common/616415/33 "2016-03-22T21:20:48Z")
Sound waves aren’t always benign. They use them to cut things: [http://www.dukane.com/us/PFF\_cutting.htm](http://www.dukane.com/us/PFF_cutting.htm) and there is some concern that the current fad of taking prolonged ultrasound “movies” of fetuses may cause damage. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/when-did-ultrasounds-in-pregnancy-become-common/616415.md?page=1)