The Houston Chronicle reports on the growing fad of keepsake ultrasounds:
Although 3-D and 4-D ultrasounds seldom have diagnostic worth, Holt makes the technology available to patients who want a bonding experience, he said. The business of offering ultrasounds for such keepsake purposes is booming.
The use of ultrasounds for nonmedically prescribed purposes, however, has stirred controversy across the country. The U.S. Food and Drug Administration, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine and the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists have issued warnings.
Some have raised questions about the ethics of using a medical device for nonmedical purposes.
Texas does not require licensing programs for ultrasound companies, so any Joe Sono can set up shop, imaging expectant mothers but potentially missing important diagnoses.
One Texas health official noted that many of these ultrasound companies are “flying below the radar,” which made us smile.
More from last year’s FDA warning against keepsake ultrasonography…
Flashback: Firms to stop offering keepsake sonograms.