Down Syndrome marker found at 30 wk scan

[David Vernon]

This is something that those who advocate ultrasounds often fail to consider. What are the parents supposed to do when something is found? In a few cases, things can be handled surgically in-utero. In the vast vast majority of cases, nothing can be done until the baby is born and then if it is a genetic issue, than little can be done.

Many times, the so-called 'problem' is found to be non-existent at birth. It might have been an 'artefact' from the ultrasound scan. It may have been operator error. But how much worry and anxiety have parents gone through? Often pregnancy and birth are worrying enough, without being concerned about 'phantom problems" that can't be solved. How many babies have been aborted because of false positives?

I am all for appropriate birth technology, but it seems to me that as a society we have adopted ultrasound as the "wonder technology" without considering some of the downsides it has. What are parents looking for when they seek an ultrasound? Reassurance? The perfect baby? The perfect birth? Unfortunately, ultrasound cannot give us that. It cannot even give reassurance that everything is OK. The error rates for ultrasound are unacceptably hgh.

Ultrasound can be useful for a very small number of obstetric problems. As a mass screening device it is a failure, simply because the high number of false positives and false negatives it produces. Given the dire needs of our health system, and the fact that ultrasound consumes a huge amount of diagnostic resources, one has to question its routine use.

A few thoughts.

Cheers

David

[taz]

This is something that those who advocate ultrasounds often fail to consider. What are the parents supposed to do when something is found? In a few cases, things can be handled surgically in-utero. In the vast vast majority of cases, nothing can be done until the baby is born and then if it is a genetic issue, than little can be done.

Many times, the so-called 'problem' is found to be non-existent at birth. It might have been an 'artefact' from the ultrasound scan. It may have been operator error. But how much worry and anxiety have parents gone through? Often pregnancy and birth are worrying enough, without being concerned about 'phantom problems" that can't be solved. How many babies have been aborted because of false positives?

I am all for appropriate birth technology, but it seems to me that as a society we have adopted ultrasound as the "wonder technology" without considering some of the downsides it has. What are parents looking for when they seek an ultrasound? Reassurance? The perfect baby? The perfect birth? Unfortunately, ultrasound cannot give us that. It cannot even give reassurance that everything is OK. The error rates for ultrasound are unacceptably hgh.

Ultrasound can be useful for a very small number of obstetric problems. As a mass screening device it is a failure, simply because the high number of false positives and false negatives it produces. Given the dire needs of our health system, and the fact that ultrasound consumes a huge amount of diagnostic resources, one has to question its routine use.

A few thoughts.

Cheers

David

Hi David

I felt i had to respond to your post here, to be honest i don't understand your viewpoint either but thats not something to be debated here.

I would just like to say that from the viewpoint of an expectant mother, one who is carrying a baby around inside it, feeling it grow and move, bonding with it, Ultrasound is great, for many reasons, it can give us reassurance, just to see the heart beat, 2 arms, 2 legs and all the rest. It can give us the belief that our babies are growing and developing properly, it can also give us things to worry about which we can then use to find out more information so we are informed on what is happening, wheather than means more testing or just educating ourselves.

Ultrasound may in your opinion be a waste of resources and although we are pregnant we are not brainless enough to presume that it is not without it's faults, but to not offer tehe service of ultrasound would be like moving into the dark ages again for us mums.

I know you can't fully understand where i am coming from as never having had the joy and fear of carrying a baby yourself you can't possibly know the feelings we have relating to ultrasound.

Taz
BTW having read your post i'll not be rushing out to buy one of your books.

[taz]

Belinda

Sorry you have had these scares, but try to use them in a positive way, quiz the balls off your OB to find out all you can (hard if its a woman but you know what i mean). It may help to have a referral to a genetic councelor to thrash it out with someone who has seen others in the same boat. Whether this leads you on to furthet testing or just gives you something to keep your mind active for the next 10 weeks is up to you, but please don't let this spoil your last few weeks so get the answers you need however you have to

Taz