One of the things patients and families look forward to most during pregnancy is the opportunity to see their fetus before birth. As sonographers and physicians, we feel privileged to share in this special time. The sonographic evaluation of the fetus is a meticulous diagnostic medical procedure and as such, is useful for detecting differences in anatomic development (abnormalities) and complications of pregnancy. Unfortunately, not all fetuses are healthy and not all pregnancies have a joyful outcome. We would like to share some situations that people might consider when planning to bring children, family members or friends to an obstetrical ultrasound examination.
The purpose of the sonographic evaluation is to assess fetal cardiac activity, gestational age, and growth. It also provides the opportunity to diagnose malformations in anatomy and to observe variations in fetal anatomy that may be associated with an increased risk of genetic abnormalities. While most fetuses are normal and the majority of patients are reassured, there are occasions when a fetus may not be alive or may be diagnosed for the first time with a major structural malformation or growth delay. These difficult situations are not predictable and may be devastating to parents, requiring additional tests and explanations.
At times, patients will bring a family member, friend, or child to their ultrasound appointments, however, there can be a downside to having people other than the parents in the room during the appointment. Some of the potential issues are:
- At the conclusion of the sonogram, the preliminary results of your ultrasound study will be discussed with you; your guests will be privy to medical information regarding you and your fetus. While most of the time this will reflect findings related to a normal pregnancy, on occasion, there may be a concerning observation that requires sharing of information that may be emotionally and/or physically impactful.
- Most young children do not have the patience to observe a detailed medical examination that may last 45 minutes or more. If a concern is detected during the ultrasound or the procedure is technically difficult, the appointment may take longer than that. Young children often become distracted, and this results in the attention of the parent(s) being directed towards the sibling instead of the developing fetus. The behavior of the bored child or “stressed” parent may affect our ability to perform and explain the findings of the examination.
- Parents who are distracted by their young children may not be able to fully appreciate the medical information provided to them or ask questions of the interpreting sonologist.
- Our ultrasound facility is not “childproof” and young children who are not vigilantly supervised may be exposed to dangerous situations including medical waste.
We are asking for your help to maximize our ability to give you the optimal medical care. While we recognize that certain emergency situations arise, we recommend that young children (less than 5 years old) not be brought to your sonographic exam if at all possible. If you choose to bring them, it is crucial that another responsible adult caretaker be available to care for the child if the need arises. If this is not possible, very young children need to be able to be kept safe by being buckled in a carriage or car seat. In the event that a child’s behavior compromises the sonographic study, we will ask you to reschedule your evaluation at a more suitable time so that we can give you the highest standard of care that you deserve. We want to give you and your pregnancy our full, undivided attention to optimize your sonographic examination.
