Potential teratogenic effects of ultrasound

Potential teratogenic effects of ultrasound on corticogenesis: implications for autism by Williams EL, and Casanova MF.
Source: Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, University of Louisville, Louisville, KY, USA.

We have found out that most mamas are very protective over their ultrasounds. They want to believe they are safe:

Because doctors say they are

They are a window to the health of their unborn baby

Some think they can “save lives”

So mention the notion that maybe just maybe they cause harm and…well, you can imagine the answers.

Let us address the points above:

Doctors also said that x-rays, DES, blood-letting, etc were safe…medicine, contrary to popular belief, is not a science. It is an art based on the knowledge of the time. Knowledge which also changes over time. Doctors are also human and like the rest of us, are prone to human weaknesses and frailties and that does include error of judgment.

Indeed, peeking in the womb environment can give us some information about the health of an unborn baby. Yet, ultrasounds can be wrong. Ultrasounds cannot make an un-well baby well. Ultrasounds cannot give us the outcomes we want.

Indeed, ultrasounds have helped save lives, but they have also harmed lives.

As with anything, it comes down to a risk versus benefit and then the decision which results. We can only truly make an informed decision IF we hold all the chips – meaning if we are FULLY informed. Knowledge of pros and cons, risks and benefits is the only way to truly make an informed decision.

This study was published in July of 2010. Here are the conclusions about the Potential teratogenic effects of ultrasound:
The phenotypic expression of autism, according to the Triple Hit Hypothesis, is determined by three factors:

a developmental time window of vulnerability,
genetic susceptibility,
and environmental stressors.

In utero exposure to thalidomide, valproic acid, and maternal infections are examples of some of the teratogenic agents which increase the risk of developing autism and define a time window of vulnerability.

An additional stressor to genetically susceptible individuals during this time window of vulnerability may be prenatal ultrasound.

Ultrasound enhances the genesis and differentiation of progenitor cells by activating the nitric oxide (NO) pathway and related neurotrophins. The effects of this pathway activation, however, are determined by the stage of development of the target cells, local concentrations of NO, and the position of nuclei (basal versus apical), causing consequent proliferation at some stages while driving differentiation and migration at others. Ill-timed activation or overactivation of this pathway by ultrasound may extend proliferation, increasing total cell number, and/or may trigger precipitous migration, causing maldistribution of neurons amongst cortical lamina, ganglia, white matter, and germinal zones.

The rising rates of autism coincident with the increased use of ultrasound in obstetrics and its teratogenic/toxic effects on the CNS demand further research regarding a putative correlation.

Further information about ultrasounds:

Source for Potential teratogenic effects of ultrasound on corticogenesis: implications for autism: