Ultrasound risk - Essay Example

These bounce off the baby and the returning echoes are translated by a computer into an image on a screen that reveals the baby's position and movements. Hard tissues such as bone reflect the biggest echoes and are white in the image, and soft tissues appear grey and speckled. Fluids (such as the amniotic fluid that the baby lies in) do not reflect any echoes so appear black. It is the contrast between these different shades of white, grey and black that allows your sonographer to interpret the images.

Most parents look forward to their scan because it gives them the first glimpse of their baby. The sonographer will give you an ultrasound report with a printout of your baby's images. Some hospitals may even give a photograph of your baby's images as a keepsake at an additional cost. However, it is important to remember that the main purpose of the scan is not to provide the first photo for your baby album, or to find out your baby's sex, either. It is to check that your baby is growing and developing normally.

" (What is an Ultrasound Scan) The risks involved in Diagnostic are believed to be very controversial and the risks involved aren't known completely. This uncertainly makes this whole process a very daunting one for some women. Several authors have written on this controversial subject and concluded that ultrasound has no ill effects; on the contrary some authors have succeeded in proving that this process involves more risks than perceived by the human beings. "Although the effects of ultrasound are still being studied, no harmful effects to either the mother or the baby have been found in over 20 years of use.

The long-term risks of ultrasound, if any, are unknown, but there are many benefits." Others warn that it is insufficiently tested, and make comparisons with X-rays and DES, which were once considered safe. The main area of debate is whether ultrasound is being used too frequently in a routine fashion in healthy pregnancies, without thorough enough testing. There may be some association between ultrasound and low birth weight (Blatt). (Altho' this is difficult to prove because the opposite assertion is known to be true: i.e. if there is IUGR (intra-uterine growth retardation) US will be performed more regularly to assess the progress of the baby.) Some people express concern about the heat and cavitation (bubbling in the cells).

Others wonder whether routine ultrasound is cost effective, or whether the money involved would be more effectively spent elsewhere." (What are the Risks of Ultrasound) Effects and Mechanisms The study of transducer is pivotal as far as diagnostic ultrasound is concerned, this process is also known as probe or scan-head. The overall clinical quality depends on this scan-head, it is heavily dependent to determine more important things than one. "Modernultrasoundtransducers often contain 128 and in some cases 288 or more elements.

It is well known that with time and normal wear and tear, individual elements within the transducerarray can cease working altogether (i.e., dead elements) or demonstrate significantly reduced sensitivity compared to their original specification. Further, these compromised elements (either "dead" or degraded) fundamentally affect the operation of the entiretransducer, and therefore can have a negative impact on clinical results, and potentially, the efficacy of the entireultrasoundstudy.