Recent release of video footage showing Planned Parenthood official Deborah Nucatola describing collection and costs of fetal tissue has attracted attention and controversy. With this controversy playing out in background, the Wall Street Journal published a new report on the overuse of ultrasounds.
The Journal article argues that low-risk pregnancies do not need the average 5.2 scans American women now receive in the months before delivery. Ultrasounds can help doctors assess fetal development and discover abnormalities, and some physicians may order more than necessary to avoid overlooking something. Still, there are significant nonmedical reasons why many patients seek out those extra ultrasounds, even go to buy additional boutique â??4-Dâ? ultrasounds. Expectant parents want to â??seeâ? their babies, and ultrasounds may help with parent-child bonding. The images give waiting mothers and fathers a chance to â??Get to Know Your Baby Before Itâ??s Born,â? in the words of a GE promotional slogan. Seeing and sharing ultrasound pictures have acquired cultural importance as milestones in the American experience of pregnancy.
Read Full Article »