![]() An agency spokeswoman said in an email that the “FDA could take action against manufacturers and certain other establishments who were promoting or advertising the sale or use of a prescription device without a prescription.” She said the FDA could also refer keepsake clinics to state licensing boards for possible action. ![]() As the FDA said in its most recent advisory in 2014, “ultrasound can heat tissues slightly, and in some cases, it can also produce very small bubbles (cavitation) in some tissue.” The long-term health effects of this on a fetus, the FDA said, are “not known.”ĭespite the repeated warnings, it’s unclear if the agency has ever backed them up with enforcement action. ![]() The FDA’s warnings about keepsake clinics date back to the 1990s. In fact, regulators and researchers have said for years that fetal ultrasound should be used prudently-about two for each complication-free, low-risk pregnancy, and only for diagnostic purposes-out of caution for the developing fetus. The widespread use of fetal ultrasounds for sentimental purposes reflects a misconception among patients, and even some medical providers, that repeated, long-term sonogram exposure is proven harmless. The anti-abortion group Focus on the Family last year live-streamed one pregnant woman’s ultrasound in the middle of Times Square , using the popular advancement in sonography known as “4D” technology, or the high-definition 3D images turned into a video. Thanks to improved imaging technology, even some doctors’ offices are competing, with one upscale New York City practice advertising high-definition images of a baby’s hands, feet, and face to take home for an additional $200 not covered by insurance. Outside California, it’s easy to find businesses that offer ultrasound sessions for the whole family to enjoy, along with framed take-home images and videos that can be used as decorations at baby showers or gender-reveal parties. In California alone, at least 40 stores sell elective fetal ultrasounds, according to a FairWarning review of businesses advertised on Google or registered with the Secretary of State. A competitor sells keepsake ultrasounds at a mall not far away in Lakewood. Cherished Memories, whose owners declined an interview, also has storefronts at two other Southern California malls. The warnings did little to slow the burgeoning trend.
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