Getting an Ultrasound at the Shopping Mall [Fetal Foto]

CBS ^ | September 6, 2002

[Aquinasfan]

(CBS) Has the next generation of high-tech medicine arrived at the shopping mall? The latest in three-dimensional ultrasound is capable of painting a picture of a fetus in more detail than ever before, to the delight of many mothers-to-be and the concern of many doctors. Dr. Emily Senay reports for The Early Show.

"Fetal Fotos" in Pasadena, Calif., is a photo shop where the newest generation in ultrasound equipment meets, well, the newest generation. It's one of a number of stores nationwide selling ultra-clear images of unborn children to their mothers-to-be.

This is not your mother's ultrasound machine. These brand-new high-tech marvels create incredible color images. Still, it's not a doctor's office. Technicians use the machinery for entertainment purposes -- something both the FDA and many doctors find troublesome.

Doctors are concerned that non-medical ultrasounds may create anxiety over perceived problems that require riskier and more invasive follow-up tests, or that parents will end up wasting their money on these unnecessary tests.

Three-dimensional ultrasound holds great promise for use in medicine, but we'll have to wait for the results of ongoing studies before we can be certain of its benefits in comparison to traditional ultrasound. Right now, the best person to tell you when and why to get an ultrasound is your own doctor.

[syriacus]

"Technicians use the machinery for entertainment purposes -- something both the FDA and many doctors find troublesome."

What an odd statement.

No one accuses me of using a thermometer or blood pressure gauge at home for "entertainment purposes."

I used to think those blood pressure machines in pharmacies were a joke. My mother's doctor told us that he thought they were generally reliable. On a whim, I decided to try one. (I actually thought I'd find my pressure was low, because I had been feeling dizzy.)

The high results caused me to see my doctor, who had not checked my pressure the last couple of times I had seen him.

The machine I thought was a joke saved my vision, and perhaps saved my kidneys or my life.

[syriacus]

Help a women's crisis pregnancy center in any way you can - and save a life today...

Will do.

[Aquinasfan]

Worrying about extra tests and taking them is something I'm glad to have avoided.

The big one to avoid is amniocentisis (sp?). I seem to remember that 1 in 300 results in a miscarriage. Does that figure ring a bell?

[Aquinasfan]

The machine I thought was a joke saved my vision, and perhaps saved my kidneys or my life.

Great story!

[Aquinasfan]

Help a women's crisis pregnancy center in any way you can - and save a life today...

CPC bump!

[Lil'freeper]

They allow ear piercings in the mall and no one gets too hyped about it. I've seen moms hoisting their little ones up on the chair so a metal stud can be punched through the earlobe. It's painful and can become infected. As far as an elective medical procedure that is inflicted on a child goes, ear piercing is more traumatic than a sonogram.

I'm sure that, if there isn't one already, a licensing industry will rise up to train and monitor the ultrasound techs. After all hair dressers are licensed as are the optometry techs and they operate safely in any given mall every day.

[syriacus]

Great story!

I'll bet a lot of great stories will result from the work of Fetal Foto and similar services.

[Varda]

MRI is safe too, I've been told. This 3-D ultra-sound seems to produce much more detail which is also useful for finding small defects. Provided these procedures are used to help the baby, they are wonderful tools.

[Varda]

Yep, amniocentisis, imo only for a prenancy in trouble. My neighbor took this one and it was a hard decision. Not sure I would do it.

[Varda]

Ya' know I had the same opinion about sonograms before my doctor talked to me. Maybe she's too cautious and maybe I'm too ready with the hysterical mother mode but I think there's something to be cautious about when invading the space of a delicate fetus.

[Varda]

Hysterical mother needs to sign off for now. One thing you are just right on the money about

"Doctors should be rejoicing that mothers will be bonding with their unborn children at an early age."

Seeing that picture is a life-changing event.

[victim soul]

Abortion has always been "More about the money [and population control] than morals."

Doctors who are opposed to women and family members seeing their in-the-womb children are more than likely those who support abortion.

It is absolutely amazing that doctors show pictures of every other surgery and internal organs -- but have always hesitated to showing expectant mothers their living and growing children in utero before offering or performing America's most common surgical procedure -- abortion.

[victim soul]

"but I think there's something to be cautious about when invading the space of a delicate fetus. More than 45 million American children have not only had "their space invaded" but they have been deliberately destroyed by so-called "doctors".

[Vic3O3]

I'm wondering if, some day, a child will remember being in the womb, and "hearing this gawd-awful, high-pitched whining sound that drove me absolutely nuts!".

Probably not, as it's a brief exposure to the ultrasound, and would likely occur only 2-3x during the entire pregnancy (ie: 2 medically requested ultrasounds like was done during my recent pregnancy, and then 1 if the mother wanted a mall-one done). Whereas a newborn's ability to recognize certain human voices (parents) is likely due to the long term exposure in utero, esp. mom's voice.

However, our daughter definitely did NOT like being ultrasounded! Definite signs of irritation in the film. Thrashing of head, arms pushing away at the transducer--it was clearly a 'go away' sign from her! Now I see that behavior in her when she's done with her bottle and pushes it away two-handed.

[victim soul]

"Sonography in connection with induced abortion may have psychological hazards. Seeing a blown-up, moving image of the embryo she is carrying can be distressing to a woman who is about to undergo an abortion, Dr. Sally Faith Dorfman noted. She stressed that the screen should be turned away from the patient."
--"Obstetrics and Gynecology News" editorial February 15-28, 1986

Abortion Quotes From Those In the Industry
www.byxbe.com ^ | Fri, 13 Sep 1996 | Right Now.com
Posted on 09/29/2002 5:35 PM Pacific by paltz
http://www.byxbe.com/thom/resume/rightnow/abortion_quotes.html

[Coleus]

bumped

[Coleus]

GE 4-D Ultrasound. Pretty cool. Should be mandatory for all abortion clinics. After seeing this, no woman in her right mind would have an abortion.

http://www.gemedicalsystems.com/rad/us/4d/virtual.html

[Aquinasfan]

GE 4-D Ultrasound. Pretty cool. Should be mandatory for all abortion clinics. After seeing this, no woman in her right mind would have an abortion.

http://www.gemedicalsystems.com/rad/us/4d/virtual.html

Beautiful! From GE to malls across America, God willing.

[Aquinasfan]

Thrashing of head, arms pushing away at the transducer--it was clearly a 'go away' sign from her!

LOL! But wouldn't that come from being physically prodded more than from the (inaudible?) sound?

[Aquinasfan]

"Sonography in connection with induced abortion may have psychological hazards. Seeing a blown-up, moving image of the embryo she is carrying can be distressing to a woman who is about to undergo an abortion, Dr. Sally Faith Dorfman noted. She stressed that the screen should be turned away from the patient." --"Obstetrics and Gynecology News" editorial February 15-28, 1986

Sheesh. Sally's going to have a lot to answer for someday.