Benefits and Risks – Obstetric Ultrasound

Benefits

• Obstetric ultrasound is painless and noninvasive.
• Ultrasound imaging is extremely safe and does not use any ionizing radiation.
• Obstetric ultrasound gives a clear picture of soft tissues that do not show up well on x-ray images.
• Ultrasound is the preferred imaging modality for the diagnosis and monitoring of pregnant women and their unborn babies.
• Ultrasound has been used to evaluate pregnancy for nearly four decades and there has been no evidence of harm to the patient, embryo or fetus.
• Obstetric ultrasound allows the doctor to see inside the uterus and provides much information about the pregnancy.

Risks

• For standard obstetric ultrasound, there are no known harmful effects.