Despite the warnings, elective ultrasounds remain popular. Those who run the facilities say their ultrasounds are performed safely — mostly by technicians who used to work in a medical setting — and provide a unique bonding experience. They also say customers are well-informed that a visit isn’t for medical purposes.
After learning early on they would add the first baby boy to their family of two daughters, the Favelas returned to Stork 4D just weeks before the Jan. 17 due date to view clearer images. Favela said her doctor didn’t express concern when she told him she planned to seek her first elective ultrasound to learn the baby’s sex when she was about 15 weeks pregnant — more than a month before her doctor would tell her — which is another reason elective ultrasound centers are popular.
Whitney You, a maternal fetal medicine physician at Northwestern Memorial Hospital, said routine prenatal care usually doesn’t involve conversations about ultrasound safety. However, if a patient brings up elective ultrasounds, she advises against them.
“The use of any medical equipment outside of its indicated use is dangerous for lots of reasons,” You said. “We don’t know what prolonged exposure can do to a fetus. To do something purely for entertainment reasons … seems inappropriate.”
Recreational ultrasounds could offer false reassurance to a pregnant mother, or, if something is wrong, the staff at a keepsake center wouldn’t be equipped to help, You said.