How many pregnancy scans are safe for the baby?

[YanaBanana]

Hi all,

I am currently 10 weeks pregnant and have had 5 scans so far, 1 every week since week 5.
I have had a miscarriage in December but decide to not wait until after my first period, and got pregnant again. In advance, I had booked a scan at end of January just to confirm if my cervix has health completely after my first period. Instead, they saw a pregnancy sack which I expected. They wanted to confirm the pregnancy so booked another scan for a week after. In the next 2 weeks I have had pains and was anxious about another miscarriage so kept going for a check up. After I had a private booked reassurance scan yesterday at 10w0d (all looked as it should be), I came across an article saying that too many pregnancy scans are not safe. Now I am panicking that I have caused some harm to my baby. And I am not sure if I should do the 12 week scan either but there are some health checks happening with it. I am super worried. Anyone with experience with too many scans is welcome to leave a comment.

Thanks,
Yana

I'm not sure if I'm any help, but I had a scan at 8 weeks due to bleeding, again at 12 weeks for dating, a private scan at 15 weeks, another at 20 weeks, and I've been put as high risk, so had another at 32 weeks, I'm booked in again next week for 36 weeks and another at the start of April for 39 weeks. So all in all I would of had 7 scans, baby is healthy and all apart from one have been nhs, I'm sure they wouldn't do them if they was any harm to my child, try not to worry x

I had 3 before my 12 week scan, now 27 weeks and all absolutely fine. Plenty of people have extra scans, early or later in pregnancy (due to previous miscarriages, health conditions, growth scans etc). Its never been raised as a concern by my midwife or consultant.

I wouldn't miss the 12 week scan (assuming you want the nuchal test for screening?) or 20 week anomaly scan (when they have a very detailed look at all areas of baby's anatomy).

Can you share the article?

Also the NHS website says there is no known risks to having scans - I'd probably trust that over a random article (unless it's in a peer reviewed journal).
www.nhs.uk/pregnancy/your-pregnancy-care/ultrasound-scans/

I wasn't aware there is a risk of too many scans. I had what felt like thousands with my son and he is 3 and a half now. I had 9 scans with my current pregnancy and am ready to pop with no issues I'm aware of. The way I see it if it wasn't safe they wouldn't offer it. Try not to worry.

I wouldn’t unless absolutely necessary. It’s to do with the unnecessary heating of the tissue I believe. I don’t really see what reassurance they give anyway beyond that snapshot in time

I went my private with both my pregnancies and my consultant, who works on the NHS as a fetal medicine specialist so is a total pro, did a scan at every single appointment. There are no risks.

It's a very small risk if there is one. You should definitely have the 12 and 20 week scans, and any that are recommended by your midwife or doctor. If you are worried about it you can ask them, and I am sure they will reassure you.

I am in Germany and we have loads more scans here than in the UK and the babies are fine. Please don't worry :)

Did you Google 'Are too many pregnancy scans dangerous' or similar? If so I'm not surprised you found an article - the internet has articles which will confirm the "truth" of literally any statement you ask it!
If your article is worth its salt it will contain links to research backing up what it claims. This research should preferably be peer reviewed and also have a reasonably large number of people studied. If you can't assess research yourself (you haven't studied in a field which lends itself to this, like most people haven't) then I really recommend sticking to 'proper' websites with no hidden agenda. The NHS obviously, but also patient.com is good.

Sorry if that sounds like a rant! It's just that pregnancy and childhood is a horrendous time for googling every problem that you come across and scaring yourself silly! Better to stick to reliable sites and have the most relaxing pregnancy you can

I know how hard pregnancy can be after loss, so hope you're okay. I had millions of scans in my latest pregnancy, but they weren't in the first trimester so possibly not comparable. In your shoes I would go to all of the scans the NHS ask you to have, but not bother with private scans. I don't think they're dangerous at all, but they don't actually achieve anything except for ten minutes of comfort. Then you're back to worrying again.

Ultrasounds are the lowest form of radiation and completely safe in pregnancy. Women who are pregnant with identical twins can end up having scans every two weeks in pregnancy. I wouldn't worry about it.

@Notwithittoday

I wouldn’t unless absolutely necessary. It’s to do with the unnecessary heating of the tissue I believe. I don’t really see what reassurance they give anyway beyond that snapshot in time

They also aid with clinical decision making.

I was prescribed progesterone after multiple losses, but they needed to check there was a heartbeat first. Once I was on the progesterone I had fortnightly scans to check that the embryo was still developing - as I was unlikely to miscarry naturally given the progesterone, but that didn't mean the heartbeat couldn't stop (in which case they'd have stopped the progesterone).

At the 12 week scan, the baby is bigger and dating is more accurate. If you consent to screening for Edwards, Pataus and Downs syndrome, then a nuchal test (measurement from scan + blood test) is performed.

The anomaly scan (20w) identifies abnormalities in the developing baby. My brother had a hole in the heart, which was picked up then & needed further monitoring. A close friend's potentially fatal kidney abnormality was identified at a scan, knowing this beforehand meant that when he was delivered they were ready to operate immediately.

They aren't just a chance to get a nice scan picture.

When I looked at this, I couldn't find any reputable articles detailing any known harm. I had a lot of scans (I genuinely couldn't tell you how many) towards the end of my pregnancy when things got complicated. DD and I are both fine now, but those scans enabled decisions that mean we're both alive and healthy.

A long time ago (20 years?) there was a study grill Scandinavia that suggested some potential issues with multiple scans. I can't remember the details. It might have been that the children were more likely to be left handed?
Anyway the study has never been replicated and it's considered that there are no known increased risks from multiple scans.
Fwiw I had several m/C's and in my first successful pregnancy I had 15 scans. My child is now 19, at a "top" uni, a lovely person and right handed 😉.

@AwkwardPaws27 I meant private ‘reassurance’ scans

Thanks everyone for the positive response! You really managed to calm me down :)

@Tsuni @LouisaLovesMice I absolutely agree that filtering the source is essential when reading medical themes.
Here is one of the articles I came across, WHO is one of the sponsors for the study

obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/uog.6328

The other one is from WebMD - US health platform which words with known educated editors. The article a little old, but still made me be concerned www.webmd.com/baby/news/20041202/multiple-pregnancy-ultrasounds-safe-for-child

Gosh I had countless scans with my twins. I was overseas so had weekly scans until we returned to the U.K. at 24 weeks, a couple once back home and then twice weekly between 30 and 36 weeks due to reduce feral growth.

[quote Notwithittoday]@AwkwardPaws27 I meant private ‘reassurance’ scans[/quote]
Oh OK.
I read the OP as having had 4 NHS scans, 1 private scan, & questioning whether to have further scans such as her 12 week NHS scan

[quote YanaBanana]Thanks everyone for the positive response! You really managed to calm me down :)

@Tsuni @LouisaLovesMice I absolutely agree that filtering the source is essential when reading medical themes.
Here is one of the articles I came across, WHO is one of the sponsors for the study

obgyn.onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1002/uog.6328

The other one is from WebMD - US health platform which words with known educated editors. The article a little old, but still made me be concerned www.webmd.com/baby/news/20041202/multiple-pregnancy-ultrasounds-safe-for-child[/quote]
Both say ultrasound is safe.
So do not worry

Due to various medical concerns I had over twenty ultrasound scans in my second pregnancy - all NHS - absolutely no ill effects for DD (now 6 years old)

I had around 75 scans with my last baby. He was born at term with no issues relating to scans. The large number of scans were also likely to have saved his life. More scans would have saved the life of the baby I had before and they would also have saved the lives of countless other babies. More and more trusts are bringing in a standard scan at 36 weeks because of the link to a decrease in stillbirths.

My partner is panicking to as we’ve had 5 scans in total and I’m 25 weeks and I’ve booked a 4D scan when I’m 28 weeks at a private company we’ve been to a few times as a Christmas Eve present so my daughter can attend, I’ve got a 32 week one booked with the nhs so that’s a total of 7 which im hoping is ok