VelvetBlade
September 10th, 2003, 11:47 AM
Third trimester and ready for your close-up
Parents love 3-D fetal snapshots, but the impact on unborn babies is unclear
By Peter DeMarco, Globe Correspondent, 9/9/2003
Angie and Barry Kruselearned the sex of their unborn daughter during a pair of ultrasound sessions with their obstetrician this summer. But the static-filled, two-dimensional, black-and-white photo of the 18-week-old fetus they named "Kennedy Joy" hardly satisfied their curiosity.
So, the Salem couple turned to Sneak Peek Video, a new business that offers three-dimensional ultrasound videos of fetuses. The live images are so detailed that at times the Kruses could clearly make out their daughter's face, nose, chin and eyes.
"This is better than ESPN," said Barry Kruse as he stared intently at his balled-up daughter slowly moving her arm on a 27-inch color screen, New Age music playing in the background. "It almost feels like we're cheating a bit."
Imaging centers such as Sneak Peek Video, which charge between $100 and $300 for what are known as fetal keepsake videos, have been around for about decade. But their growing popularity with expectant parents is drawing them into the cross hairs of a largely hostile medical profession.
Though there are no reports of any injuries caused by ultrasound exams in 50 years of use, the US Food and Drug Administration opposes exposing fetuses to the powerful ultrasound waves for no greater purpose than getting a neatly packaged DVD or video keepsake. Ultrasound waves increase the temperature in body tissue, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine has noted, and should be used only when necessary and by physician-supervised personnel.
Technically, the FDA prohibits the promotion of keepsake videos, but the agency so far has done little more than issue stern warnings to the companies that offer them. Search the Internet, or read parenting magazines, and you'll find advertisements for dozens of businesses, including Fetal Fotos Inc., a national franchise with 14 stores, including outlets in shopping malls and West Hartford, Conn.
But there may be more regulations to come, at least at the state level. The state Board of Registration in Medicine plans to discuss placing limits on keepsake fetal videos at the September or October meeting.
"These machines are regulated and checked," said Dr. Beryl Benacerraf, professor of radiology, obstetrics and gynecology at Harvard Medical School. "If you start going outside the medical community, you don't know what you're getting.
"There just isn't any other test in medicine where someone is going to buy it and use it without supervision. Because it's so appealing to get a picture of that child's face, does all caution go to the wind?"
Dr. Laura Riley, a maternal fetal medicine specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, also questioned how such businesses handle situations in which an ultrasound image reveals previously undetected problems.
"People go into these places expecting their baby is fine. Are they going to tell you there's a major malformation?"
http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/women/articles/2003/09/09/impact_of_3_d_snapshots_on_unborn_babies_is_unclear/
Parents love 3-D fetal snapshots, but the impact on unborn babies is unclear
By Peter DeMarco, Globe Correspondent, 9/9/2003
Angie and Barry Kruselearned the sex of their unborn daughter during a pair of ultrasound sessions with their obstetrician this summer. But the static-filled, two-dimensional, black-and-white photo of the 18-week-old fetus they named "Kennedy Joy" hardly satisfied their curiosity.
So, the Salem couple turned to Sneak Peek Video, a new business that offers three-dimensional ultrasound videos of fetuses. The live images are so detailed that at times the Kruses could clearly make out their daughter's face, nose, chin and eyes.
"This is better than ESPN," said Barry Kruse as he stared intently at his balled-up daughter slowly moving her arm on a 27-inch color screen, New Age music playing in the background. "It almost feels like we're cheating a bit."
Imaging centers such as Sneak Peek Video, which charge between $100 and $300 for what are known as fetal keepsake videos, have been around for about decade. But their growing popularity with expectant parents is drawing them into the cross hairs of a largely hostile medical profession.
Though there are no reports of any injuries caused by ultrasound exams in 50 years of use, the US Food and Drug Administration opposes exposing fetuses to the powerful ultrasound waves for no greater purpose than getting a neatly packaged DVD or video keepsake. Ultrasound waves increase the temperature in body tissue, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine has noted, and should be used only when necessary and by physician-supervised personnel.
Technically, the FDA prohibits the promotion of keepsake videos, but the agency so far has done little more than issue stern warnings to the companies that offer them. Search the Internet, or read parenting magazines, and you'll find advertisements for dozens of businesses, including Fetal Fotos Inc., a national franchise with 14 stores, including outlets in shopping malls and West Hartford, Conn.
But there may be more regulations to come, at least at the state level. The state Board of Registration in Medicine plans to discuss placing limits on keepsake fetal videos at the September or October meeting.
"These machines are regulated and checked," said Dr. Beryl Benacerraf, professor of radiology, obstetrics and gynecology at Harvard Medical School. "If you start going outside the medical community, you don't know what you're getting.
"There just isn't any other test in medicine where someone is going to buy it and use it without supervision. Because it's so appealing to get a picture of that child's face, does all caution go to the wind?"
Dr. Laura Riley, a maternal fetal medicine specialist at Massachusetts General Hospital, also questioned how such businesses handle situations in which an ultrasound image reveals previously undetected problems.
"People go into these places expecting their baby is fine. Are they going to tell you there's a major malformation?"
http://www.boston.com/yourlife/health/women/articles/2003/09/09/impact_of_3_d_snapshots_on_unborn_babies_is_unclear/