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Cecilia Vargo

Mrs. DeBock

English 4 Honors

November 8, 2017

Service Final Draft

With the up and coming technology, prenatal doctors all over the United States have

started using 3D/4D ultrasounds to get a better view of babies in the womb. A 3D/4D

ultrasounds provides doctors with a 360 view of the fetus and also allows the doctor and the

families to hear the fetus and its heartbeat. Most of the time 3D/4D ultrasounds are used for

entertainment for the family and friends. The procedure gives them the opportunity to see are

hear the baby before it is born. Although the procedure is popular, some people believe that the

ultrasounds could be dangerous to both the mother and the baby. These beliefs are developed

from people thinking the extensive exposure to radiation during the ultrasound. The debate over

whether or not the procedure is saving is still going on. Doctors have been using 3D/4D

ultrasounds to examine the fetus if it has a medical condition like Downs syndrome or Cerebral

Palsy, and a way to plan a safe surgery. There is evidence that the 3D/4D ultrasounds have made

it easier for Pediatricians to plan an easy and effective form of treatment.

Many of families all over the world use 3D/4D ultrasounds to see their future members

for the first time. Patients can set up the ultrasounds with their doctors or with a company who

specializes in the ultrasounds. When a patient schedules their appointment they can do at home

or in the establishment surrounded by their family members and/or friends (Mackenzie-Morris).

Because of the shared experience, the popularity of the procedure has grown tremendously. The
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3D/4D ultrasound works almost the same way as a regular 2D ultrasound. The machine is set up

and a cooling barrier gel is distributed rubbed onto the patients stomach. The only difference is

the amount of radiation that comes through the machine. With the heightened amount of

radiation it gives the viewing party the ability to see the vivid features and the sounds of the baby

while its still in the womb (3D and 4D Fetal Ultrasound Advances Spark Research, Create

Challenges). When doctors give others the opportunity to see their baby for the first time in a

different way it could impact that person in special ways. It is extremely normal for expecting

mothers to be nervous when it comes close to their due date. Using a 3D/4D ultrasound gives

that expecting mother another sense of connection with their baby. Elizabeth Mitrano, who was

an expecting mother in 2013, was feeling uncomfortable and disconnected from her baby, but

when she had a 3D/4D ultrasound done she a new and stronger connection to her baby

(Sifferlein). When Elizabeth saw her babys face in the vivid picture for the first time all of her

insecurities disappeared. The 3D/4D ultrasound has brought along many wonderful experiences

for families all over the world, but with those experiences come risk that some think might be

inexcusable.

While 3D/4D ultrasounds are bringing joy to families all over the world, they are also

being criticized by doctors and specialist all over the world. Some doctors and specialist believe

that the ultrasounds are becoming a dangerous phenomenon. With the high radiation levels if the

procedure is not being done by professionals it could be extremely dangerous to the patients.

Stephanie Grady, a reporter for Fox News, amplifies the fact that most of the time an ultrasound

is done it is for entertainment purposes. Grady says that those who perform the at home

ultrasounds do not have to have a medical background. What that means is that someone who

had maybe worked at a Mcdonalds before could possibly be putting the live of patients in
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danger. Although this is a dangerous reason to resist the procedure, its not the only reason that

doctors are suggesting to not have a 3D/4D ultrasound. Dr. Levine, a professor of radiology at

Harvard Medical school, says that as radiologist we do not condone them (3D and 4D Fetal

Ultrasound Advances Spark Research, Create Challenges). The procedure is dangerous if not

done by professionals, but when it is done by professionals it can be used for many

Medical purposes.

3D/ 4D ultrasounds, when done by a doctor, can reveal a condition that the fetus might

have. The vivid view of the fetus allows for doctors to examine the pictures to see if the fetus has

conditions like cleft lip, limb deformities, and even cerebral palsy. Cerebral Palsy is a group of

non-progressive and noninfectious conditions which cause light, moderate, and severe deviations

in neurological developments (Tomasovic). The conditions of cerebral palsy can impact the

lives of the patient's forever. When doctors use the 3D/4D ultrasounds to see the severity of a

patient's condition it helps them form a plan of treatment. The ultrasound allows the doctors to

see the motor functions of the fetus in the womb to diagnose how severe the condition is

(Tomasovic).

The use of 3D/4D ultrasounds has made it possible for pediatricians to plan easy forms of

treatment. With the practice being so widely used across the world for entertainment purposes, it

has brought families together all over the world. The procedure allows the families to

unofficially meet their newest members even before they are born. The patients can invite their

friends and family for a 45 minute to an hour viewing of their babies. With this extensive

ultrasounds doctors fear that the exposure might be harmful for both the mother and their baby.

When done by professionals for medical purposes it is less harmful, but since no medical
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background is needed to perform the procedure, doctors fear that something could go wrong

during the viewing. Some doctors believe that the extensive exposure to radiation for a long

period of time could cause damages that may be irreversible. When the procedure is completed

by a professional for medical uses not entertainment the procedure is safe. The ultrasounds can

give doctors an insight on conditions the patients might have that cannot be seen on a regular 2D

ultrasound, and gives them the chance to plan a safe form of treatment.
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Work Cited

"3D and 4D Fetal Ultrasound Advances Spark Research, Create Challenges." RSNA. N.p., 01

May 2015. Web. 25 Oct. 2017.

This RSNA article gives valid information about 3D/4D ultrasounds. The article touches

base on at home ultrasound parties. The ultrasound technician goes to the home of a family and

sets up the machine. The family can have their friends and other family members gather around

to watch the procedure being done, and after the ultrasound is over they can keep a copy of the

video. The article also talks about some of the risk of at home 3D/4D ultrasounds and even

3D/4D ultrasounds in general. The RSNA article is important to the research of 3D/4D

ultrasounds to show the option of an at home ultrasound and also to show its risks.

Grady, Stephanie. "Its a Booming Baby Business, but Are 3D/4D Ultrasounds Really worth the

Risk?" FOX6Now.com. N.p., 17 Feb. 2015. Web. 25 Oct. 2017.

In the Article written by Stephanie Grady for Fox News, Grady interviewed OBGYNs And

Prenatal doctors to ask their opinions on 3D/4D ultrasounds. One OBGYN, Dr. Sheldon

Wasserman, told Grady that the companies who perform the at home ultrasounds require no

schooling. That means the person the families are letting perform a machine that requires

radiology could have worked at Mcdonalds before. The doctors Grady interviewed also said that

although the ultrasound is for entertainment purposes, it might actually be harmful to the fetus,
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and could possibly cause birth defects. Stephanie Gradys article is important to the research of

3D/4D ultrasounds to show the opinions of some doctors and how the procedure could possibly

be dangerous to the fetus.

Hachette, Isabella Wegmann. "3D/4D Ultrasound Comes of Age." MedicalPhysicsWeb. N.p., 03

Nov. 2016. Web. 25 Oct. 2017.

In this article, written by Isabelle Wegmann Hatchette, she talks about how when used by a

professional the 3D/4D ultrasounds can help doctors detect problems with the fetus. Some

doctors, like a prenatal doctor, can use the ultrasounds to find things like tumors or abnormal

growths on the fetus. The doctors can then use the ultrasound to plan a form of treatment that is

both safe for the mother and the fetus. The article written by Isabelle Wegmann Hatchette is

important to the research to show the positive aspects of 3D/4D ultrasounds, and how doctors use

the ultrasounds to effectively treat the mother and the fetus.

Mackenzie-Morris, Kim. "What Are 3D and 4D Ultrasound Scans?" BabyCentre UK. N.p., Feb.

2015. Web. 25 Oct. 2017.

Kim Mackenzie Morris, the author of this article, explains what exactly 3D/4D ultrasounds are.

Morris says that the 3D part of the ultrasound shows the fetus in full aspect, while the 4D parts

provides sound to the ultrasound. She also says that while the 3D/4D ultrasounds are just as safe

as the routine 2D, but they should not be used for just a souvenir and only for medical purposes.

Morris suggest that while you can do at home visits it would be expensive and not always

accurate. The What Are 3D and 4D Ultrasounds Scans article is important to the research to
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provide information about what a 3D/4D ultrasound is and how it is helpful.

Sifferlin, Alexandra. "HD Ultrasounds: 4D Imaging of Your Unborn Child Is the Future." Time.

Time, 9 Dec. 2013. Web. 25 Oct. 2017.

This article is about the future of 3D/4D ultrasounds. In the article the tells of a first time mom

who was really nervous about the having a baby, but once she saw her baby in a 3D view she

was excited. The article tells of how the ultrasound give future parents an idea of what their child

will look like. The ultrasound also give parents a chance to prepare for their child if it has a cleft

lip or an abnormal growth before it is born. This article is important tothe research to show an

aspect of a mother who has used the 3D/4D ultrasound and how it made her feel, and also how

the ultrasound gives insight to what complications the baby might have.

Tomasovic, Sanja, and Maja Predojevic. "4D Ultrasound - Medical Devices for Recent Advances

on the Etiology of Cerebral Palsy." Acta Informatica Medica. AVICENA, Dec. 2011. Web. 25

Oct. 2017.

This article is about how a doctor uses a 4D ultrasound to look for Cerebral Palsy. The article

explains in depth what cerebral palsy is. The article also talks about how doctors use a 3D/4D

ultrasound to monitor the fetus with cerebral palsy while it is still in utero. This atricle on

Cerebral Palsy is import to the research to show a more specific case where the 3D/4D

ultrasound is being used.