For pregnant women (and their partners), prenatal ultrasounds can be awe-inspiring. It’s undeniably neat to actually see what the baby looks like before he or she emerges, and the resulting pictures make excellent decorations for the refrigerator.
Most women will have two or three medically recommended ultrasounds during pregnancy. But some women and their partners would like more time watching their growing babies, and more pictures. To serve these consumers, a cottage industry of “recreational” ultrasound studios has emerged, offering “keepsake ultrasounds” — 3-D pictures of the fetus, long video recordings, etc. Ultrasound sessions at these providers can last up to an hour.
Recently, the Food and Drug Administration issued stringent warnings against use of these providers. It “strongly discourages” these services on the theory that ultrasound heats tissues and could cause fetal damage. Although the agency notes that such ultrasounds might promote “bonding” between mother and baby, the lack of medical benefit means (in its view) that these extra procedures should be avoided.
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