Are too many scans dangerous?

[Maggie272]

So because of two previous losses and that this is IVF pregnancy I had a scan at 6and 7 weeks. Due to have another at week 8 next week. Is there any risk of miscarriage that you know of? I find the scans reassuring too as I suffer terrible from anxiety.
M x

I asked my consultant this and was told it's fine. I'm 15 weeks now and I've had 5 scans already because of two previous losses. I've got placenta problems so will be having extra scans later on to monitor baby's growth.

The scans themselves, no.

There is evidence that in 'normal' pregnancies, too many scans leads to too much intervention and therefore slightly less favourable outcomes. See the American system. However too many scans in normal pregnancy isn't the same as the amount of scans you have been told are the right number in your pregnancy. The NHS isn't prone to over intervention like profit based systems. If they say you need the scan, have it.

TL:DR don't believe studies that say lots of scans are bad apply to you.

I had so many scans. Some private but most NHS. If there was a risk to your baby they wouldn't do them as often. I had scans for bleeding and standard scans some of which were then repeated and then a whole heap of growth scans. DS is completely fine. I'm sure you've googled but this reassured me while I was pregnant.

There are some theoretical risks (tissue heating/cavitation) but no convincing evidence of any harm from ultrasound at the levels used in pregnancy.

No

Thank you all so much. Worrier here so appreciate the feedback xxx

When you have an X-ray at the dentist's, the staff leave the room, so that sort of suggests there could be implications where someone is repeatedly exposed. Sonographers must carry out hundreds of scans every week. Don't worry.

I don't think anyone really knows. I'm very wary especially of internal scans. I had a scan at 6+6 and the sonographer was really rough. I was sore down there for a day and a half. We'd seen the heartbeat and everything was fine. I thought that the risk of miscarriage would be very low because we'd seen the heartbeat but it stopped at 7+3 and I had a mmc. I don't think scans will give me much reassurance in future so I'll be only having the absolutely necessary ones and only abdominally

*SnoozyLou x-rays have radiation, which is dangerous with too much exposure. Ultrasounds are completely different, with no radiation at all.

I was told it led to a slightly higher than average chance of the baby being left handed, but they didn't know why.

I had over 50 scans with my middle child, who started out as an identical triplet. I'd had 5 by the time we got to 12 weeks, and the record was 4 in a single day.

@RueDeWakening that's mental! How they figure that I'd love to know
You're my ultrasound og. Thanks for replying!

In total with my last pregnancy I had 12 scans! 11 nhs & 1 private. Consultant who performed most of the nhs scans said increased scanning doesn’t pose a risk to baby