Expectant parent' desire to see images of their unborn children has given rise to commercial companies offering keepsake ultrasound scans without medical supervision, often referred to as "boutique ultrasonography."
In a special report in this week's British Medical Journal, journalist Geoff Watts considers whether this non-medical use of the technique can be justified.
Improvements in ultrasound technology have transformed antenatal scans from two dimensional black and white images to 3D, 4D and even moving pictures of the unborn child. Expectant parents seeking a CD-ROM or a DVD of their scan can expect to pay £150-£250.
The companies say that ultrasound has not been shown to cause any harm to mother or baby, but the US Food and Drugs Administration (FDA), the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine, and the French Academy of Medicine are among several official bodies that have reservations about such use of the technology. The British Medical Ultrasound Society does not have a specific policy on non-medical imaging, but is currently updating its guidance.
The FDA says: "Although there is no evidence that these physical effects can harm the fetus, public health experts, clinicians and industry agree that casual exposure to ultrasound, especially during pregnancy, should be avoided."
There are also concerns about how staff deal with the discovery of a fetal abnormality.