Not long ago, nearly everything about a new baby remained a mystery until its birth. It wasn't even unheard-of for a mom to have surprise twins! Today, though, we in the industrialized world are blessed with the ability to find out tiny details about our babies long before they're born. Ultrasounds diagnose the vast majority of serious birth defects and help to determine a baby's position and size. Most parents also choose to find out whether they're expecting boys or girls. An increasingly popular trend takes the miracle of the ultrasound even further: thanks to highly detailed 3D sonography, parents are able to get photos and videos showing the tiniest details of their unborn babies in stunningly realistic images. But are these keepsake 3D ultrasounds really safe?
The fact is that, for now, we just don't know, which is why most doctors and midwives advise erring on the side of caution and avoiding them. Although imaging centers have sprung up in shopping mallsand stores all over the country, there really isn't enough evidence to say whether this exciting novelty is actually safe. It's not unreasonable to note that X-rays for entertainment were once available in novelty shops and at fairs, before we learned just how deadly unnecessary radiation can be. A 3D ultrasound might seem like harmless fun today, but we may learn later that these fun keepsakes come at a serious price.
Novelty 3D and 4D ultrasounds haven't been proven to cause harm, but that doesn't necessarily mean that they're safe. Robert Phillips of the FDA stated in a warning to parents-to-be, "When ultrasound enters the body, it heats the tissues slightly. In some cases, it can also produce small pockets of gas in body fluids or tissues." He noted that no one is sure how these might actually affect a developing baby. Although we have good evidence that ordinary ultrasounds used in a medical context are safe, we just don't know whether the same is true for 3D and 4D ultrasounds, which expose the baby's body to much more risk.
There are other dangers of 3D ultrasounds that are more mental and philosophical in nature. The use of an ultrasound to get a keepsake video or photo is, at its core, an unapproved and often unlicensed use of medical imaging equipment. We would never even dream of asking laymen to do CT scans of our brains for fun, so why would we ask them to perform high-tech imaging of our unborn children? A 3D ultrasound performed by anyone other than an expert also carries the risk of providing false reassurance (if no problems are found) or creating unnecessary anxiety (if a problem is mis-identified because the person performing the ultrasound isn't an expert). Fetal ultrasounds should always be carried out by a qualified technician and evaluated by a physician.
Still, if you're at a high risk for certain pregnancy complications, your doctor may recommend a highly detailed 3D ultrasound to assess some fine details that might not be visible on an ordinary ultrasound. When these are done because of actual medical need, as determined by a qualified expert, the benefits outweigh the theoretical risks. And, if you're getting the imaging anyway, there's no harm if your medical care providers decide to print you a few keepsake photos from your 3D ultrasound as souvenirs. However, that doesn't mean that it's a good idea to have a 3D ultrasound for the sake of novelty alone.
Your baby's first pictures are the result of a high-tech medical procedure; they're not as simple as taking a snapshot with your smartphone. However, if you're considering having a 3D ultrasound just for fun, it's really best to keep walking past the ads for the newest shopping-mall imaging center. Your baby's health and well-being are more important than the value of some exciting photos of his life in the womb. Check with your prenatal health care provider before you seek out any ultrasounds that aren't medically necessary.