Ultrasound during pregnancy and subsequent childhood non‐right handedness: a meta‐analysis

Abstract

A conservative analytical approach indicates no association between ultrasound in utero and subsequent non-right handedness. The results from the exploratory analyses must be interpreted with caution. There is still a need for further research.

On the Other Hand

“…In other words, the subject is deemed more or less righthanded, never lefthanded.) Two subsequent papers (with the above referenced Salvesen an author of both) refute the finding of Salvesen et al, (1993): Kieler et al, (1998) and Salvesen and Eik-Nes (1999) both report no differences in handedness between ultrasound-screened and control subjects overall; however the 1999 paper does indicate a statistically significant difference among boys. Perhaps the most bizarre study reported in recent years investigated, among other things, the relationship between hair color and handedness.…”

The safety of obstetrical ultrasound: a review

“…Although no difference was later reported when including both male and females, an increased risk was found in a subanalysis of males alone (OR 1.33, 95% CI 1.02-1.74) (Kieler et al, 1998b). A metaanalysis of the two studies also suggested an association when analyzing males alone (Salvesen and Eik-Nes, 1999b). Examining the handedness of adult men yielded conflicting results, depending upon the years during which ultrasound exposure occurred (Kieler et al, 2001).…”

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).…”