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Original poster

Increased risk of learning difficulties the more scans you have, is my MW talking out of her..

40 replies

FoofFighter · 16/01/2013 19:53

ARSE??!

MW today was banging on about private scans and that the more scans you have the more likely you are to have a baby with learning difficulties like Dyslexia etc shortly before saying I might get an extra scan at 34 weeks if I am lucky?!

I can't find much concerning this on Dr. Google and what little there is dates back to the 90s..

Has anyone got any advice about this? I'm not worried, just annoyed if she is giving out duff advice to others who may panic about it.

OP posts:
MissyMooandherBeaverofSteel · 16/01/2013 19:56

I have never heard this said, ever, I have had 6 babies and was scanned every couple of weeks throughout with them all, my ds has dyslexia (as do all the males on my side of the family) and my daughters don't. I am 99.99% certain this is utter bullshit.

Allinonebucket · 16/01/2013 19:58

It sounds like nonsense to me.
I doubt they'd do scans at all without making you read something about the risks, if there were any risks, IYSWIM.

Dappylittlemomma · 16/01/2013 20:26

Yes, MW should know better and is spouting complete bollocks. As scans are ultrasound they are completely safe for you and baby. V irresponsible of MW worrying mothers with that nonsense, would it be worth mentioning it to a more senior MW, so she stops telling others the same?
All the best with your pregnancy

Dappylittlemomma · 16/01/2013 20:26

Yes, MW should know better and is spouting complete bollocks. As scans are ultrasound they are completely safe for you and baby. V irresponsible of MW worrying mothers with that nonsense, would it be worth mentioning it to a more senior MW, so she stops telling others the same?
All the best with your pregnancy

lljkk · 16/01/2013 20:29

Learning difficulties, I don't believe that.

But the more likely that you will suffer a false alarm, yes. That is the danger of extra scans.

Emsyboo · 16/01/2013 20:32

This is ridiculous!
I would tell a more senior midwife if she is telling people that they may refuse scans which could be dangerous! I am having extra scans because baby needs monitoring and we can't just assume things that are going on if I didn't have these scans or refused because I was worried about learning difficulties me and the baby could be in danger if I went into labour!
Stupid woman should know better!

lightrain · 16/01/2013 20:33

Please let somebody more senior know about this - she's talking utter bollocks and should be allowed to continue spreading it!

CheeseStrawWars · 16/01/2013 20:36

We had extra scans as we agreed to take part in a medical research study for our local (and excellent) hospital. No-one mentioned anything about side-effects of more scans. I would have expected them to have had something on the consent form making you aware if there was any risk of, well, anything.

LikeCandy · 16/01/2013 20:36

Some research suggests that ultrasound scans (especially first trimester) can be a contributing factor in left-handedness, as far as I am aware that's no disability though!

Original poster
FoofFighter · 16/01/2013 20:37

but the more likely that you will suffer a false alarm, yes. That is the danger of extra scans
Sorry not sure what you meant with this?

It's not my usual MW so will see what the other one says when I see her next. like I said I wasn't under any illusion that it was anything much more than hearsay or a possible link years ago, but others are not as wordly and would take it as gospel. She also had choice views about 3d/4d scans!

OP posts:
Original poster
FoofFighter · 16/01/2013 20:38

She mentioned left handedness too.

OP posts:
philbee · 16/01/2013 20:48

I have read, in reputable places, that they just don't know what the effects are. There is no choir of pregnant women which has had as much monitoring as we go through in terms of scans or dopplers. The US FDA (I think, need to check) recommends against having 'entertainment' scans, eg to see what the baby looks like for that reason. But they say that the number of medical scans we have, to check for anomalies etc. has been found to be safe. Saying there is any established link between scans and any condition is bullshit though, yes.

philbee · 16/01/2013 20:48

cohort not choir. Smile

goodygumdrops · 16/01/2013 20:49

A quick google comes up with lots of other people saying these things too but no solid references that I could see. I had loads of scans in pregnancy and questioned this and was always told, its wise to limit them to only those considered clinically necessary due to any unknown side effects, but those deemed clinically necessary are so for a reason. She was wrong to state it as fact.

InNeatCognac · 16/01/2013 20:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

happy2bhomely · 16/01/2013 20:53

Midwives are supposed to provide 'evidence based' care and information. So, she could say that there is simply not enough evidence to know for sure how safe scans are, and some might prefer to avoid unnecessary scans but she absolutely should not be saying what she said!

scaevola · 16/01/2013 20:53

The left-handedness thing arose from a Swedish study which showed slightly huger than expected rates. But this study was never replicated and confirmed, because the medical advantages of scans were so clear and overwhelming it was ruled unethical to deprive any woman of them.

Littlemissexpecting · 16/01/2013 20:58

It's rubbish. I was under the recurrent miscarriage clinic and until I got to 14 weeks I was scanned every week from 5 weeks. This was requested by my consultant. They wouldn't do that if there was other contraindications. Ignore her, enjoy the private scan if you have it!

TwitchyTail · 16/01/2013 21:35

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

throckenholt · 17/01/2013 08:50

I would say she is !

I had frequent scans with my twins (probably about 20-30 in all) - and they are fine. One is left handed though Grin

fraktion · 17/01/2013 09:03

In France it's fairly common practice to scan quickly every month so that's at least 8, possibly more if you have to have anomaly scans redone. I had scans at 6, 11, 13, 17, 22, 24, 28, 32, 33, 36 and 40 weeks. DS is only 20 months but I'm not particularly worried about dyslexia.

dappleton · 17/01/2013 09:06

I live in a part of africa where everyone who can afford private hospitals use them rather than public. The private hospitals scan so much that I lost count of how many scans I had. The public hospitals scan just once as far as I know. Based on your MW's theory most children in this country from wealthier backgrounds would have learning difficulties and most from other backgrounds would not. Unsurprisingly it's not the case.

DonderandBlitzen · 17/01/2013 09:12

I had a pregnancy yoga teacher who was very woo and she said "Sound rays can be used to demolish buildings. Think what they can do to a baby!" Hmm

perceptionreality · 17/01/2013 09:15

This is one of those things you couldn't possibly know the answer to tbh - how would anyone be able to accurately research such a thing?

These days lots of people have scans in private clinics for non-emergencies - if there was a known risk I doubt this would happen. But it's a bit like the mobile phone hypothesis isn't it?

PaleHousewifeOfCumbriaCounty · 17/01/2013 09:25

Very dangerous for a so called professional to be spouting things like that without an evidence base

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