Psychological aspects of ultrasound examinations during pregnancy

The acceptability of ultrasound examinations during pregnancy has been docu mented in many studies. Yet there is little empirical evidence for the post ulated psychological benefits of ultrasound examinations. Although seeing t he baby is most often rated as a moving experience, there are no proven lon g-term effects of ultrasound visualization on bonding with the fetus or on pregnant women's health-related maternal behaviour. There is evidence to su pport the notion that attenuated anxiety and stress immediately following t he examination are likely artefactual - a reflection of increased anxiety b efore real-lime scan. Review of the literature indicates no evidence as to whether antenatal detection of fetal abnormalities leads to improvement in coping or only prolongs the phase of psychological stress and mourning. Thi s articles provides an overview of current research on psychological effect s of prenatal ultrasound examination. Copyright (C) 2001 S. Karger AG,Basel .