Effect of Ultrasound on the Fetus
The question of adverse effects of ultrasonic examination upon the human fetus continues to be explored. The impetus for these investigations comes from animal or in vitro cellular studies showing a reduction of weight and size and DNA alterations in mice litters exposed to ultrasound. Human studies to date have failed to reveal any comparable results.
These two articles explore whether there is a positive correlation between fetal ultrasonic examination and/or monitoring and subsequent development of childhood malignancy. The first study reports comparison of histories from 1,731 children who died of cancer in the United Kingdom between 1972 and 1981 with age-matched control children for exposure. Six percent of both case and control children had had ultrasonic exposure.
