Dec. 2, 2004 — Having multiple ultrasound examinations during pregnancy is unlikely to cause any lasting harm to the developing fetus, according to a new study that confirms the long-term safety of the commonly used procedure.

“A review of over 50 medical studies shows that ultrasounds do not pose any danger to moms or fetuses. They do not cause birth defects, childhood developmental or intellectual problems, or cancer.”

Thus there is a basis for concern about the safety of humans exposed to diagnostic ultrasound during fetal life. Because no clinically evident immediate adverse effects have been reported in humans, most health professionals and patients consider diagnostic ultrasound in pregnancy to be a safe procedure2, 3.

It has the potential to produce harm if the heat is left in the same place too long. If, while being treated, you feel discomfort, alert your PT right away. One potential risk with therapeutic ultrasound is that the rapid pressure changes during cavitation could cause a “microplosion” and damage cellular activity.

About the interaction of ultrasound with bone tissue, the general recognition was that ultrasound caused damage, and its use in bones was to be avoided. In 1949, Halsscheidt et al8 reported a case of osteomyelitis in the alveolar bone in a patient who had received ultrasound treatment for a lesion in the lower lip.

The sound waves are reflected back to the transducer by boundaries between tissues in the path of the beam (e.g. the boundary between fluid and soft tissue or tissue and bone). When these echoes hit the transducer, they generate electrical signals that are sent to the ultrasound scanner.

People with pseudocyesis have many, if not all, symptoms of pregnancy — with the exception of an actual fetus. Some men experience a related phenomenon known as couvade, or sympathetic pregnancy. They will develop many of the same symptoms as their pregnant partners, including weight gain, nausea, and backache.