22/09/2021
As with any medical investigation or procedure in pregnancy it is natural to be worried about how it might affect your baby.
Ultrasound scans don’t use any ‘ionizing’ radiation (the type associated with x-rays), so it is considered safe. Since becoming a routine test in pregnancy, there have been many studies performed which have looked at potential risks of pregnancy ultrasounds.
In 2009, an in-depth review combining the results from 61 of studies was completed to get a better understanding of safety. The researchers explored any short and long term safety risks on the mother’s and baby’s health, pregnancy health and brain development amongst other things, in up to 35000 pregnancies. The final conclusion was that ultrasounds didn’t put the mum or baby at increased risk in pregnancy, and there was no clear evidence it affected babies development after birth or in childhood.
Some risks of using high levels of ultrasound have been reported in animal research, but these risks have not been replicated in humans. Nonetheless, sonographers always follow ultrasound manufacturer safety advice and clinical practice guidelines for every scan, so even any subtle theoretical chances of harm are avoided.
We also use the ‘ALARA’ principle, that means keeping any use of ultrasound ‘As Low As Reasonably Achievable’. This means not scanning for long periods of time and using low power settings on machines. In addition, all hospitals have safety trained sonographers, and in the NHS they can only practice if from a state registered profession (such as the radiography, midwifery or medical professions).
Any decision in your pregnancy is your own choice, and if you are unsure about scans you can always consider them using the BRAIN acronym:
B – Benefits? What are they?
R – Risks? What are they?
A – Alternatives? Is there any?
I – Intuition? What is my gut telling me?
N – Nothing? What happens if I do nothing?
You can use this to help you talk to your sonographer, midwife or maternity team regarding any decisions in your pregnancy
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Source: Safety of ultrasonography in pregnancy:Torloni 2009, Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynaecology
