I’ve recently read a few articles about the theory that ultrasounds are responsible for the rise in autism cases. The validity of such a thing isn’t what I really want to talk about, but it is what prompted my curiosity.
Apparently the ability to use ultrasounds has existed for 50 years. I may be wrong, but it seems to me that it’s only been in the past 20-odd years, perhaps even fewer, that ultrasounds have become standard prenatal care, rather than just reserved for high-risk pregnancies.
Why are they routine now? (and they really are, aren’t they? I’ve never been pregnant so I have no first-hand knowledge here) Have doctors pushed for them, or have patients?
How are refusals to have them met these days? My mom said no to one while pregnant with my brother because they just wanted to try to more closely pinpoint his due date. The doctor didn’t put much effort into changing her mind. Is it still “okay” to say no to one if you’re low-risk for problems, or are you warned/guilted as if you’re being irresponsible?
The reasons are numerous: detecting multi-plural births, detecting anatomical problems in utero, assessing gestational progress…
Refusing them might be frowned-upon because the scans can detect problems early, and that problems so found might be minimized or cured if detected early.
A very recent development in sonogram technology is the ability to screen for Downs Syndrome without the inherent risk associated with an amniocentesis that a high risk pregnancy brings.
I would also guess that the technology itself is improving what can actually be seen by them. I would think the resolution is much better now.
I was a high risk pregnancy due to my (ahem) advanced maternal age. I actually had my first sonogram at 8 weeks because I had a bunch of spotting so they were checking for viability. I ended up having about 8 sonograms overall, maybe more, but that was probably more because my doctor had one in office and it was easy for them to do it than if they had to send out for it.
With all the problems and threats my pregnancy had, I absolutely loved being able to see my daughter grow and develop. Of course, some of the 3D ones were pretty scary looking. One of the last ones I said “She needs to get a lot better looking to come home with me.” She looked like a cross between a zombie and a member of Insane Clown Posse that had been kept in a basement for too long.
I know my doctor was one of the first ones in the area to have the 3D sono in house, the girls loved playing with it and I certainly loved being their guinea pig. They would poke around and see exactly what they could tell with it and how soon. They literally got it when I was about 6 weeks pregnant. i.e. I lucked out big time.
having no particular insider knowledge, but having been a pregnant person 4 times in the last 10 years…
I bet the main reason they’ve become so common is malpractice suits. Say you’re a doc with a policy of no ultrasound unless indicated and the baby ends up having some easily-detected-by-ultrasound problem…ding ding ding, we have a winner…of several millions. What jury wouldn’t award the tearful parents a bucketload?
Another reason is people love em! Pregnancy is a very worrisome time and being able to actually see the baby move around is very reassuring. It’s hard to remember sometimes there’s really a baby is there and ultrasound really seems to help a lot of people connect to a baby that seems only hypothetical without it.
I’m not a particular fan of ultrasounds, I don’t like the way you end up looking at a TV screen when the baby is actually inside you. I think babies on ultrasound look creepy and alien usually. I’m very big on low medical intervention and all my births were sans pain medication, induction, fetal monitors, but I would always have at least one ultrasound at the beginning of a pregnancy, just to check for multiple pregnancy, ectopic pregnancy and any glaring problems.
Since I am at higher risk of having a child with birth defects (because one of my children did, and because of age now) I always have a “Level 2” ultrasound, since I am not willing to have amniocentesis (which is proven to increase your risk of miscarriage).
Yes, ob/gyns are frequent targets for malpractice lawsuits since people are quick to blame the doc anytime a child is born with problems, so I think part of the push for ultrasounds is simply “defensive medicine”.
However, I definitely think there is a lot of patient demand for it too. You might recall that a few years ago there was quite a fuss over a trend of companies popping up to give people “keepsake” 3-D ultrasounds of their babies just for fun (for example, this FDA warning about the practice: http://www.fda.gov/fdac/features/2004/104_images.html ).
Those new 3-D ultrasound pictures are a vast improvement over the old-fashioned kind of ultrasound, so it’s not surprising that a lot of moms are eager to take a peek!
I hadn’t heard about the link between ultrasounds and increased autism, either. I had two ultrasounds when I was pregnant - one at seven weeks because I started bleeding, then the structural ultrasound at five months, which is routine now to make sure there aren’t any abnormalities.
I’d agree with what’s been said earlier - that a lot of ultrasounds are for the parents’ peace of mind rather than the physician’s. I was offered another ultrasound and said no. I just didn’t feel it was necessary. My OB was fine with that, though it’s amazing how pissed some medical professionals get if you refuse something they consider standard.
[hijack]I had a couple of nurses and a resident get annoyed with me when I made some nonstandard choices during and after delivery. A lot of hospitals are like baby factories - if you don’t follow standard procedure and throw off their curve, they get ticked. [/hijack]
My girlfriend went to the hospital to have a thyroid check, and because she was 14 weeks pregnant, they did a routine ultrasound. That’s when they told her the baby was dead (no heartbeat). They said she could just give birth to the dead featus, or get an abortion. I think it was better to know sooner than later.
When I took her to the clinic there was some guy at the door when I got out, who started berating me, holding up an anti-bortion sign. I quickly interrupted him: “What the f_ _ _ do you know about OUR baby, asshole? Go mind your own business.”