Just a couple of 2 cents on this. I think it is sad that people think this makes the pregnancy real or more real, surely by 20weeks there are other more real signs that signal this. On the other side these are computer generated images: some very clever person wrote a program that puts together all of the measurements from the sono and so produces a visual image, it is no more accurate or real for that matter than the measurements from which the percentiles for gestational age are generated. At best it is a sophisticated cartoon image of the baby. I should be careful I could be getting into a complicated esoteric discussion on reality.
Oh well. In Seattle there lives an ultrasound technician who has bought her own machine and sells in utero u/s images to mums and dads who had no clinical reason to get an insurance paid u/s, there is always a business opportunity around. Amazingly, even a few (a very few) of our homebirth mums, who wouldn't have an anomaly scan for ethical reasons had one of these because they were cute?? ahhhh!!! ps. I really do think this technology is great to have when it is needed!! However, because this is rare, people find reasons to use it more often for no good reason. marilyn ----- Original Message ----- From: "Sally Westbury" <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> To: <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> Sent: Wednesday, November 13, 2002 2:27 PM Subject: [ozmidwifery] FW: [birthnews] Social use of Ultrasound in Pregnancy > > My hesitation around ultrasound is that no-one can produce research to > prove that this is a safe thing to do. Until this is clarified I remain > one who will advocate the use of ultrasound for clinical indications > only rather than as a routine intervention. > > Sally Westbury > > -----Original Message----- > From: Jodie Miller [mailto:gympiegirl@;yahoo.com] > Sent: Wednesday, 13 November 2002 2:16 PM > To: [EMAIL PROTECTED] > Subject: Re: [birthnews] Social use of Ultrasound in Pregnancy > > Just an anecdote to add... > > Yoga pals and expectant friends of mine recently had > their 20 week scan at the Royal Women's Hospital > Brisbane and they came home with, not only the regular > B&W prints, but a set of *extraordinarily* detailed > colour "photos" of their baby's face in utero. The > technician got so excited at the quality of image that > they were achieving and printed off some 8 or more > wonderful pictures for the parents-to-be to take home > and enjoy. > > I must say the images gave me shivers! The level of > detail achieved was amazing... who could blame parents > for wanting to take advantage of this opportunity to > "meet" and bond with their baby? > > I've heard of ultrasound being used to help couples > accept their baby in unplanned pregnancy or of women > using the ultrasound scan to reign in a dad-to-be in > denial. > > My own two (soon to be three) experiences of the 20 > week anomaly scan were extremely warm and wonderful > like a verification and validation that all was normal > and healthy with the added bonus of allowing us the > opportunity to learn our babies' gender - something > that I felt helped me to bond with my babies in utero > just that little bit more. I made every effort to > call my husband to attend if I was referred for an > impromptu scan in later pregnancy and we always walked > away with a warm glow and a sense of familiarity with > our unborn member of the family. We framed ultrasound > pictures and emailed scanned images to distant family > so that everyone was able to share our joyful > expectation. > > I realise that this technology is over-applied but > it's hard not to get excited when we are offered the > opportunity to see the unseeable. Suddenly a > pregnancy becomes real, the baby becomes real and, > once actually viewed, it becomes easier to think of a > future with baby in it. > > Just my two cents, > Jodie Miller > > > --- Jan Cornfoot <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > Joanne > > > > Not on social use > > but informed choice etc > > http://www.aimsusa.org/ultrasnd.htm > > > > What about some of the sites for mothers? > > > > Jan Cornfoot > > > > > > __________________________________________________ > Do you Yahoo!? > U2 on LAUNCH - Exclusive greatest hits videos > http://launch.yahoo.com/u2 > > BirthNews is sponsored by CAPERS Bookstore & the Birth Issues Journal. > www.capersbookstore.com.au > > To unsubscribe, [EMAIL PROTECTED] > > > -- > This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. > Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe. -- This mailing list is sponsored by ACE Graphics. Visit <http://www.acegraphics.com.au> to subscribe or unsubscribe.
