July 2005 | Vol. 23, No 7

AMA Says Ultrasound Baby Photos are a Bad Idea

According to a recent article by Reuters Health, the American Medical Association (AMA) House of Delegates recently stated at its annual meeting that “Keepsake ultrasound ‘portraits’ are not medically appropriate and should be discouraged.”

“Recent advances in ultrasound technology, including 3D image capacity, have made the ‘pre-birth’ portraits popular, which prompted the Missouri delegation to the House of Delegates to ask the AMA to go public about the risks of the practice,” said Reuters Health.

The new AMA policy directs the organization to adopt current Food and Drug Administration policy on the use of non-diagnostic fetal ultrasound. The FDA policy states that “keepsake” fetal videos are an unapproved use of a medical device, said Reuters Health. The House of Delegates also directed AMA leaders to lobby the FDA to enforce its prohibition of unapproved, non-medical uses of the technology.

"Although there is no evidence to suggest that exposing a fetus to unnecessary ultrasound is harmful, strong support was voiced endorsing its use only where there is clear medical benefit to the patients," said Reuters Health.

In April 2004 the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) reaffirmed its opposition to the use of ultrasound for non-medical purposes. The AIUM strongly discourages the non-medical use of ultrasound for psychosocial or entertainment purposes. The AIUM advocates the responsible use of a diagnostic ultrasound.