‘Scanxiety’: Women risk babies’ health with extra scans

  • UK and US guidelines advise getting two scans: one at 12 weeks, one at 20 weeks
  • A new study shows a third of mothers-to-be pay for extra private ultrasounds
  • Too many high-intensity scans may cause harm to the foetus, experts warn 
  • Anxiety over the baby’s health may be doing more harm than good, they say

By

Claudia Tanner For Mailonline


Published:
13:16 EDT, 15 May 2017

|
Updated:
13:16 EDT, 15 May 2017

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One in three mothers-to-be are suffering from ‘scanxiety’ – and potentially harming their unborn babies, experts have warned.

Guidelines in the US and the UK advise scans at 12 and 20 weeks to monitor the child’s development.

But a new study in England shows that almost a third of expectant mothers are paying for additional private ultrasounds.

Experts warn the excessive intensity of radiowaves could be damaging for the foetus. 

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One in three mothers-to-be are suffering from 'scanxiety', which may harm their unborn babies

One in three mothers-to-be are suffering from 'scanxiety', which may harm their unborn babies

One in three mothers-to-be are suffering from ‘scanxiety’, which may harm their unborn babies

It is no secret that scans could be dangerous for unborn babies, and obstetricians are told to explain this to expectant mothers of a matter of course. 

But despite the dangers, the rate appears to be rising.

The poll of 2,000 mums by parenting site ChannelMum.com found that one-third of expectant mothers are paying for the extra scans due to anxiety over their babies’ health, leading to experts coining the phrase ‘scanxiety’. 

A further third confess they just want to ‘check in’ on their baby, without a specific medical reason. 

One in five (20 per cent) of those having extra scans pay out for two, while 18 per cent buy three or more, a study reveals.

One in 50 even admit to forking out for nine or 10 additional scans – more than one a month during their pregnancy.

This is collectively costing expectant mothers millions of pounds, without a medical reason.  

Private scan images range from £35 up to £1,000 for a repeat package, but clinics regularly offer discount vouchers and promotions on sites like Groupon to lure in extra customers.

The private scan industry is worth £42 million ($54 million) a year – enough to fund 1,620 experienced midwives in the NHS.

Worryingly, some clinics offer scans for longer than 30 minutes, which goes against medical advice, while others employ unregistered sonographers who are unable to provide an accurate diagnosis or offer support if a there is a problem.

There have even been reports of ‘pop-up’ scan firms offering to carry out the treatment at women’s homes rather than in a clinic, as well as women being misdiagnosed as having a healthy baby when the pregnancy was ectopic. 

Mervi Jokinen, practice and standards advisor at the Royal College of Midwives, said: ‘Current advice by the National Institute For Health and Clinical Excellence is to have an early scan and then a screening scan for anomalies at around 18-20 weeks.

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‘These are recommendations based on the available research and takes into account the harm and benefit of scans.

‘Any further scans beyond these recommendations should be clinically indicated and based on the needs of the women and her developing baby.

‘It is of concern that women are needing this extra assurance. It may reflect a need for women to have more confidence in their pregnancy and this type of reassurance and support is, and can, be provided by their midwife.

‘Anxieties caused by reliance on technology can have an impact on a woman’s pregnancy, causing undue stress and anxiety.’

Although considered safe when used appropriately, ultrasound scans can fail to pick up birth defects or misdiagnose them. 

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