![]() ![]() While ultrasound is considered to be quite safe in the hands of a technician, if a person doesn’t know what they are doing (such as listening to the heartbeat excessively by keeping the transducer in one spot), it has the theoretical potential to affect the fetus. “If you hold it in one place for a very long time, it can heat the tissue at some point,” explains Nevo. Lim and Nevo agree that there are thermal risks, as well as the potential to aggravate fetal tissue. Ultrasound can heat tissues slightly and, in some cases, produce very small bubbles in tissue, according to experts at the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). There are a few reasons why you should proceed with caution with these handheld devices. What are the risks of using an at-home fetal Doppler? If the device detects a beating heart, it converts it to an auditory signal. How does a fetal Doppler work?Ī fetal Doppler sends out a beam of high-frequency sound waves that reflect off various tissues, explains Kenneth Lim, division head of maternal fetal medicine at BC Women’s Hospital and Health Centre. These types of heartbeat ultrasounds also don’t produce images instead, they pick up the sound of your baby’s heartbeat. What exactly is a fetal Doppler?įetal Doppler heartbeat monitors work just like the ultrasound technology used in your doctor’s office, but they have a lower intensity, explains Ori Nevo, an obstetrician who specializes in high-risk pregnancy care and co-director of the Toronto Centre for Early Fetal Ultrasound at Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre. But are these machines safe and reliable? We asked the medical experts to tell us the benefits and risks of using an at-home fetal Doppler. With the advent of many new pregnancy monitoring devices, it’s easier (and more tempting) than ever to check in on your baby’s health at home. When you’re pregnant, it’s natural to want to know what’s happening inside your growing belly.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |