Ultrasound Safety for Pregnancy

With an ultrasound, you can see an image of your child as it is developing in the womb. While you are probably excited by this, you probably also have many questions about how ultrasounds work. Most importantly, you want to know if ultrasounds are safe. As with all medical procedures, it is understandable if you are nervous, and we would like to help put your mind at ease.

Are Ultrasounds Safe?

This is the main question on many expecting mothers’ minds. Yes, ultrasounds are safe. Numerous tests have been performed on them, and there has never been any evidence of ultrasounds being harmful.

Pregnant women have had these scans performed on them for decades. Sonographers are trained to follow guidelines for this procedure, and as long as these guidelines are followed, you and your baby are completely safe.

Will the Ultrasound Affect My Baby?

Even if ultrasounds are safe, some fear they will still affect their unborn children somehow. Fortunately, ultrasounds will not affect the child. Different studies have confirmed there are no links between this procedure and autism, cancer, dyslexia, weight, or any other possible birth defects.

The ultrasound is done by sending sound waves through the uterus. These sound waves bounce off objects, in this case your unborn child, to create an image on a screen. With this image, you and the sonographer will have a picture of your baby in the womb.

You will even be able to see the baby’s movements and position. Furthermore, considering how many women undergo ultrasounds, if they did cause problems, one would have been found by now. Do note, however, the ultrasound equipment does generate some heat, however it is less than 33 degrees Fahrenheit. In other words, you and your baby will not be affected by it. Generally, the most standard ultrasound scan is low intensity, and is spread out over a large portion of your body.

This type of ultrasound will only cause minimal heating.

How Can I Be Sure My Scans are Performed Safely?

Now that you know ultrasounds are safe and will not affect your baby, you might feel more at ease. At the same time, how can you know if your scans are being performed safely?

The guidelines for an ultrasound are clear. Ultrasound scans are to only be done by trained sonographers who understand how to safely do the procedure. These professional sonographers will only use low level ultrasound, unless it is necessary to do otherwise. 

Additionally, they understand ultrasounds should not be performed with a vaginal probe in the early stages of the baby’s development. They also know, however, standard scans are safe to perform early on, and will only do those during the initial development.

Moreover, they will make the ultrasound brief in cases where the mother has a fever. Her temperature will already be high, and they will not want to make it higher. Overall, experts agree the benefits of ultrasound scans are far greater than any possible risk. Take into account the unlikelihood of anything going wrong with trained sonographers, and there is ultimately nothing to fear. Ultrasounds are safe.