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Home › Articles › Safety Issues › Dabbling with Dopplers

Dabbling with Dopplers

Is Listening in on Baby at Home a Good Idea?

By Alex Powell

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Why Are Experts Concerned?
According to the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, "fetal ultrasonography of any kind is considered safe when properly used and when medical information about a pregnancy is needed." However, the organization, along with the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, discourages the use of ultrasonography for non-medical purposes.

"We really do not know how much ultrasound exposure is too much," agrees Mavis Schorn, director of the nurse-midwifery program at Vanderbilt University. "So far, no detrimental effects have been found, but it is continually raised as a question. Just because ultrasound is commonly used does not mean we will not hear of complications of excessive exposure sometime in the future."

Another problem lies in the interpretation of the information that the Doppler provides, says Dr. Jessica Kingston, an assistant clinical professor in the Department of Reproductive Medicine at the University of California San Diego. "For example, [women] may place the Doppler on their abdomen, get their own heartbeat (which is slower than a normal fetal heart rate), and be worried," Dr. Kingston says. "Or they could have an elevated heart rate and be auscultating that mistakenly as a nomal fetal heart rate, and be falsely reassured. Or worse yet, they may not be able to find the fetal heartbeat and get very anxious, only to find out on evaluation at the office or hospital that all is fine."


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