Women's Health Ultrasound

An abnormally low female birth rate among the Asian population in California's Santa Clara County may be closely related to the fetal keepsake ultrasound industry's growth in a region covering San Jose and the homes of nearly two million residents.

A study on thermal effects of diagnostic fetal ultrasound could not confirm a causal relationship between exposure and obvious adverse effects. Study authors cautioned, however, that subtle effects cannot be ruled out and called for more research.

Pregnant women who are overweight or obese are at least 10 times more likely than women of normal weight to have their fetal ultrasound screening recalled due to poor results, according to Canadian researchers.

Posterior fossa anomalies detected on fetal MR imaging should be confirmed with postnatal imaging, according to a study in the June American Journal of Roentgenology. Investigators from the U.S. and Canada found significant discrepancies between fetal and postnatal posterior fossa findings on MRI.

Canadian researchers have found that pregnant women who are overweight or obese are more than 10 times more likely than women of normal weight to have their second trimester fetal ultrasound screening recalled due to poor results. Worse yet, a second exam may not improve visualization but instead add only to cost and patient distress.

Canadian researchers have found that pregnant women who are overweight or obese are more than 10 times more likely than women of normal weight to have their second trimester fetal ultrasound screening recalled due to poor results. Worse yet, a second exam may not improve visualization but instead add only to cost and patient distress.

Head CT, pulmonary studies top list of exams, while abdomen/pelvis imaging delivers highest fetal dose

One of the first studies to evaluate rates of radiological exams that expose pregnant women to ionizing radiation found a dramatic increase in the utilization of diagnostic imaging. The increase is driven largely by CT studies of the head and CT pulmonary angiography.

Doing full fetal anatomical surveys during follow-up exams of low-risk pregnancies can identify unanticipated fetal anomalies, particularly if the exams are intended to monitor fetal growth.

Three-D ultrasound designed for cardiac imaging may be just what interventionalists need to improve the administration of nerve blocks, according to researchers at the Mayo Clinic in Jacksonville, FL.

Traditional ultrasound has long been used to take bladder measurements of fetuses as early as 11 to 14 weeks gestation, including length and echogenicity. But measurement of bladder volume has tended to be inaccurate because of the limited algorithms for estimating volume using a 2D image. Fetal urine production rate can also be tricky to evaluate with 2D ultrasound.

Expectant parents no longer seem satisfied with keeping 3D fetal videos in their DVD collection armoire. Now they are posting them on the web. This practice could undermine organized radiology efforts to rein in unwarranted fetal sonography scans.

Engineers at Duke University’s Pratt School of Engineering have come up with software that twists the data composing volumetric ultrasound images into stereoscopic views, creating images that appear to float off display monitors into 3D space. The software splits the single ultrasound image into two separate images 7° from each other -- one seen by the right eye and the other by the left.

Pacific Coast Ultrasound of Los Alamitos, CA, operates at the nexus between medical need and self-indulgence, specializing in prenatal diagnostics and medically supervised 3D/4D prenatal elective ultrasounds. Throughout February, the center, which positions itself as a certified independent diagnostic facility, promotes a month-long tribute to Valentine’s Day.

Research citing previously unknown risks to developing brains bolsters case against keepsake fetal videos

One of the first stories I wrote for Diagnostic Imaging magazine made a lot of radiologists unhappy. It was about sonographers who were not only performing echocardiograms in private offices but also providing interpretations. One of these techs told me she had to because she knew more about it than the cardiologist. That was 24 years ago.

One of the first stories I wrote for Diagnostic Imaging magazine made a lot of radiologists unhappy. It was about sonographers who were not only performing echocardiograms in private offices but also providing interpretations. One of these techs told me she had to because she knew more about it than the cardiologist. That was 24 years ago.

This month sees a clutch of national radiological congresses taking place. The annual U.K., German, and Spanish meetings are held during May, but a more specialized event looks set to attract considerable attention: the first International Congress on Fetal MRI, to be staged in Vienna from 12 to 13 May.

Fetal MRI has become established in clinical practice over the past decade. MRI is indicated when conditions do not favor fetal ultrasound such as cases of maternal obesity or anhydramnios.1 It has also been shown that fetal MRI may discriminate among tissue components that do not display impedance differences on ultrasound; for instance, laminae in the developing brain.2 These advantages, along with MR's ability to delineate small structures, such as cranial nerves, has furthered its use as an adjunct to ultrasound in fetal imaging.1 Applications for fetal MRI are growing. The development of improved methods for fetal imaging, including availability of ultrafast sequences,3 has also furthered adoption.

Researchers from The Children's Hospital of Philadelphia have performed real-time functional cardiac MRI in two fetuses. It is the first time this technique has been reported, and it may represent an advance over the current gold standard of fetal echocardiography.

The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine has updated its policy on fetal ultrasound studies performed without medical indications. Though the revised statement still targets keepsake imaging entrepreneurs, the new language looks at potential ethical violations by accredited ultrasound practitioners as well.

Researchers from The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia have performed real-time functional cardiac MRI in fetuses. Theirs is the first report of this technique, which may represent an advance over the current gold standard of fetal echocardiography.

Keepsake ultrasound, which has rapidly become a buzzword in the U.S., refers to the provision of nonmedical fetal videos and prenatal portraits to pregnant women and their families. Companies such as 3DbabyVu, Peek-A-Boo Baby, and Womb With a View are using seductive marketing slogans such as "Fruit of the womb" and "Mommy tummy tours, we believe in love at first sight."

Philips has released a package of enhancements and new system configurations for its ultrasound portfolio. The upgrades, known collectively as Vision 2005, include new capabilities for the company’s latest radiology and cardiology platforms.

The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine has updated its policy on fetal ultrasound studies performed without medical indications. Though the revised statement still targets keepsake imaging entrepreneurs, the new language looks at potential ethical violations by accredited ultrasound practitioners as well, according to AIUM officials.

Although ultrasound remains the method of choice for fetal screening and follow-up, MRI is emerging as a valuable tool in certain cases of potential congenital abnormality. Used safely and in appropriate circumstances by trained radiology staff, fetal MRI can add weight to critical diagnostic decisions, according to speakers at the European Congress of Radiology in March.

A growing number of private enterprises are using ultrasound to provide nonmedical fetal "keepsake" videos and/or prenatal portraits to pregnant women and their families. Eye-catching names such as 3DBabyVu, Fetal Fotos, Peek-A-Boo Baby, and Womb With a View are popping up in shopping centers across the country.

Vasa previa, a condition that affects approximately one in 2500 pregnancies, is almost always lethal. Adding vasa previa screening to current obstetrical ultrasound protocols could prevent mortality, according to an international group of researchers from Israel, the U.K., and the U.S. Their study was presented at the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine meeting in June.