Routine ultrasonography in utero and subsequent vision and hearing at primary school age

Abstract

The study was performed to investigate any associations between routine ultrasonography during pregnancy and subsequent reduced vision and/or hearing among children. A follow-up was carried out of primary school children born to women who took part in two randomized, controlled trials of routine ultrasonography during pregnancy. Of 2428 eligible singletons, 2161 (89%) were followed up with a parental questionnaire and with information from maternal and child health centers. Parents assessed vision and hearing in their children and reported their observations in questionnaires. At the age of 7 years, the children were also screened with bilateral visual acuity tests and pure tone audiometry at public maternal and child health centers. No significant differences between ultrasound-screened children and their controls were found in the parental assessment of vision or hearing. The objective tests did not show any significant differences between children in the two groups with regard to visual acuity or hearing. The risk of reduced vision or hearing was no greater for children of mothers who had been offered routine ultrasonography during pregnancy than for those whose mothers had not received that offer.

Exposure to Ultrasound in Utero: Epidemiology and Relevance of Neuronal Migration Studies

“…These studies did not find any evidence of possible negative effects of exposure to diagnostic ultrasound in utero on postnatal neurological development (Kieler et al 1998a;Salvesen et al 1993a,b), vision and hearing (Salvesen et al 1992a;Kieler et al 1997), speech development (Salvesen et al 1994), motor control, perception and school performance (Salvesen et al 1992b). However, a possible association between ultrasound and nonright-handedness in boys was found as summarized in a meta-analysis of the two Scandinavian studies (Salvesen and Eik-Nes 1999).…”

ICNIRP Statement on Diagnostic Devices Using Non-ionizing Radiation

“…Research using various designs, including case-control and cohort studies and randomized controlled trials, has explored the relationship of diagnostic ultrasound in pregnancy to a wide range of developmental outcomes in childhood—namely, growth, vision, hearing and speech, reading and intellectual performance, handedness and mental health (Salvesen et al 1992a and b, 1993a and b; Kieler et al 1997, 1998a and b, 2001, 2002, 2005). Among these, the only possible association to emerge has been with non-right-handedness (Salvesen et al 1993b) (a possible marker for adverse impacts on neurological development).…”

Ultrasound in Reproductive Medicine: Is It Safe?

“…Human ears can discern sounds at approximately 20-20,000 Hz. Diagnostic ultrasound is, generally, 2-15 million Hz (2)(3)(4)(5)(6)(7)(8)(9)(10)(11)(12)(13)(14)(15). Wavelength is the distance between two corresponding points on a particular wave.…”