Iodine recommendations for pregnancy and lactation may be too low for mom and baby.

Iodine during the prenatal period is necessary for the mother and infant’s health. Prenatal and lactation needs for iodine are increased and current recommendations and screening may not be sufficient to provide both the baby and mom what they need for optimal health.

Many women may not get the iodine that they need for their own body and the growing fetus or may become depleted during lactation. (1) Each additional pregnancy can leave the woman even lower in iodine. Woman with many pregnancies may have more of a risk for having a child with congenital hypothyroidism at birth. Low iodine prenatally may also add to risk for autism or schizophrenia later in the child’s life. 

Current recommendations for iodine by international agencies may be too low for pregnancy, lactation and for newborns. (1) A review team has recommendations for an increase in iodine supplementation – 250-300 micrograms of iodine daily for pregnancy and lactation and 90 micrograms for newborns. The team also recommends increasing the screening range for urinary iodine considered optimal to 150-230 micrograms of iodine. (1) Less iodine is excreted in the urine when the body is depleted.

A study based in Hong Kong also suggests that urinary iodine levels may not be an accurate test for assessing adequacy of iodine intake by lactating women as an indicator suggesting their breast milk would supply recommended iodine levels for their infants. (3)

The most recent guidelines issued by the American Thyroid Association (73) suggested that all pregnant women should ingest ~250 μg iodine daily, and women who are planning pregnancy or are currently pregnant, should add to their diet a daily oral supplement that contains 150 μg of iodine.” May 21, 2020 (7)

*This was an unfinished older post, so I wanted to check if the recommendations have been updated.

Pregnancy and the neonatal period are higher risk stages for iodine deficiency t occur because the thyroid stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine levels are modulated more than in other stages of the lifespan. TSH tends to be elevated more than normal and thyroxine decreased. Checking newborns for elevated TSH would be a biomarker for iodine deficiency. (1) When adequate iodine is provided promptly, the mental retardation associated with congenital hypothyroidism may be preventable. Treating with Synthroid alone would not help enough. All the glands of the body need iodine, not just the thyroid gland. If it is low, it means everything else in the body is even more depleted as the thyroid gets preferential use.

Re pregnant women and neonates: “…their serum thyroid-stimulating hormone (TSH) and thyroxine are increased and decreased, respectively, for degrees of ID that do not seem to affect thyroid function in the general population. Systematic neonatal thyroid screening using primary TSH could be the most sensitive indicator to monitor the process of ID control.” (1) *ID = iodine deficiency.

Conclusions from a study based in Thailand included the finding that heel prick blood at three days old was not as accurate as a sample from the umbilical cord sera for screening TSH levels in the newborn. (4)

Women become more depleted in iodine with each pregnancy and lactation stage of their lives. Infants seem to also get preferential use of iodine from the mother’s body stores. A study based in China found lower iodine levels in urban and rural prenatal and lactating women compared to the iodine levels of infants and school aged children living in the regions. The presence of goiter was low in all women (2.0%) but was more common in prenatal women (2.7%) than in lactating women or for all women combined. (2) Mammary glands also can use more iodine from maternal stores for breast milk production due to an increased activity of the iodine symporter/mineral channel. Low intake of iodine will lead to lower levels of iodine in the breast milk. (5)

In areas of iodine sufficiency breast milk iodine concentration should be in the range of 100-150 microg/dl. Studies from France, Germany, Belgium, Sweden, Spain, Italy, Denmark, Thailand and Zaire have shown breast milk concentrations of < 100 microg/l. Adequate levels of iodine in breast milk have been reported from Iran, China, USA and some parts of Europe.” (5)

This information about maternal and neonatal preferential uptake of iodine suggests that iodine is VERY IMPORTANT for infant development. ←Noteworthy.

Being iodine deficient can equate to a drop in Intelligence Quotient (IQ) of up to 15 points. Supplementation can improve cognitive ability if started early for neonates or if the low iodine didn’t begin in infancy. (6)

The intelligence damage of children exposed to severe ID [iodine deficiency] was profound, demonstrated by 12.45 IQ points loss and they recovered 8.7 IQ points with iodine supplementation or IS [iodine sufficiency] before and during pregnancy. Iodine supplementation before and during pregnancy to women living in severe ID areas could prevent their children from intelligence deficit. This effect becomes evident in children born 3.5 years after the iodine supplementation program was introduced.” (6)

Infants who are born low in iodine tend to grow very slowly, in proportion, but tiny. Shorter, narrower, lighter, less muscle mass, than if they had been sufficient in iodine. The appearance has been described as elfin and can be very cute as a child, however what might their full potential have been if mom had had enough iodine? More to point – why are low iodine thyroid conditions only treated with Synthroid and rarely with extra iodine? That is standard for anyone with hypotthyroidism – totally ignore the need for iodine by every other gland in the body.

Buyer be very wary of “health care professionals” – they may just be following standard protocols and seeking more information may be life improving.

Food sources of iodine: Eating adequate seaweed and seafood is the traditional source of iodine in many areas of the world. Seaweed species vary in iodine content, and it can vary within species. Supplements of seaweed for iodine use should be tested batch by batch for iodine content of the seaweed if the company is reputable. Other crops grown near the ocean tend to have higher levels of iodine than crops grown inland, which makes coconut a fairly good iodine source.

Some plants uptake iodine preferentially such as rhubarb, making it a vegetable high in iodine. It also has other medicinal benefits. This person really loved Siberian rhubarb for perimenopause, so I will let her tell you about it: (indigonaturals.net) There may be a product for sale, I am not affiliated. It is a thorough article on the intricacies of estrogen receptors.

green-leafed plant
Young rhubarb stalks. The leaves and stalks can get quite large. Generally the leaves are not eaten, only the colorful stalks. Rhubarb is a tangy celergy like vegetable that can be used in place of celery in soup or is typically sweetened and thickened in the US to serve as a tangy “fruit” pie, possibly prepared with strawberries too. Photo by kaori nohara on Unsplash

The recommendations for iodine intake across the lifespan, may also be too low for everyone, when the competition of halides in the water and food supply is considered. Iodine can be replaced by bromide or fluoride or chloride in thyroid hormone, but the resulting hormone is then dysfunctional. Lab tests would show “normal” levels. Symptoms of hypothyroidism may be present while lab tests show the presence of a normal amount of T3 and T4 that may not have three atoms of iodine or four atoms of iodine. Instead, it might have some atoms of fluoride, bromide or chloride if the body was low in iodine and had plenty of the other halides present.

More information about iodine and selenium food sources, and the issue of halides in hypothyroidism is on page G9. Iodine & Thyroid. (effectivecare.info)

Selenium is also needed for the enzyme that breaks down excess thyroid hormone. Two Brazil nuts per day provides the typical goal used in alternative treatment – 200 micrograms of selenium per day. Selenium is not readily available in many foods and checking your one-a-day or Trace Mineral supplement mix for it would be a good idea as Brazil nuts can be expensive or hard to find.

**Addition, off-topic from iodine – I went back to the perimenopause article, (indigonaturals.net), and have found a biological difference between males and females – females may have – drumroll – more bliss – more of the THC equivalent endocannabinoid: anandamide.

“Despite these differences, FAAH inhibitors retain anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects in ovariectomized female rats [112]. Interestingly, however, anxiolytic- and antidepressant-like effects produced by estradiol administration are attenuated by CB1R blockade [112], whereas estradiol administration increases AEA levels [113] or AEA signaling [114], possibly via downregulation of FAAH* driven by an estrogen response element on the FAAH gene that suppresses FAAH transcription when bound by estrogen.”

https://pdfs.semanticscholar.org/a188/3e071695213724c1f9df258910481d6c2ae7.pdf

Goodness, let’s decipher that.

Basically, estradiol exerts its antidepressant and anti-anxiety effects by boosting anandamide. [*FAAH is an enzyme that breaks down cannabinoids.] In fact, they were able to block estradiol’s effect on depression and anxiety by blocking CB (endocannabinoid) receptors!

This means, the key to estradiol’s control of mood is…the endocannabinoid system and anandamide in particular!

By the way, this was a sex dependent effect…only women used this pathway in other experiments: Remarkably, this effect of E2 [estradiol] is sex specific, occurring in females but not in males.  

https://www.sciencedirect.com/science/article/pii/S0896627312003753

Can we all agree that irritability is the opposite of bliss? (indigonaturals.net)

Yes, I can agree that irritability is the opposite of bliss – PMS history and genetic inability to make anandamide has left me familiar with irritability, also those around me – sorry. I would try to go to my office during PMS week and warn staff that I was having a cranky day – paperwork catch up day.

*In the modern era of trans gender hormone use, it is also interesting because the DNA male body might not be as blissful/peaceful even with estradiol use as someone with a DNA female body because the estrogen receptors would likely still respond as a male. If you paint a barn red, it doesn’t become a fire engine. Self-acceptance is a goal of maturing – we all have flaws and aging adds changes to those old familiar flaws.

Chocolate and Pregnancy – moderation/common sense – it is a nutrient rich food, hold the sugar and bad fats.

Chocolate is the richest commonly used food with some cannabinoid content – but not much for the calorie ratio. Bliss but not in a dose large enough for someone with a gene difference in ability to make endocannabinoids.

Cannabinoids are needed in pregnancy and lactation and chocolate is not that high in caffeine or theobromine that chocolate needs to be avoided (a frequent recommendation for pregnancy that I don’t agree with). Moderation on the calories, use of dark cocoa powder in a low sugar product would provide a variety of phytonutrients with anti-inflammatory benefits.

Disclaimer: Opinions are my own and the information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes.

Reference List

  1. Delange F., Iodine requirements during pregnancy, lactation and the neonatal period and indicators of optimal iodine nutrition. Public Health Nutr. 2007 Dec;10(12A):1571-80; discussion 1581-3. doi: 10.1017/S1368980007360941. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18053281
  2. Yan YQ, et al., Attention to the hiding iodine deficiency in pregnant and lactating women and lactating women after universal salt iodization: A multi-community study in China. J Endocrinol Invest. 2005 Jun;28(6):547-53. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/16117197
  3. Kung AW., Iodine nutrition of pregnant and lactating women in Hong Kong, where intake is of borderline sufficiency. Public Health Nutr. 2007 Dec;10(12A):1600-1. doi: 10.1017/S1368980007360989. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18053285
  4. Rajatanavin R., Iodine deficiency in pregnant women and neonates in Thailand., Public Health Nutr. 2007 Dec;10(12A):1602-5. doi: 10.1017/S1368980007360990. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18053286
  5. Azizi F1, Smyth P., Breastfeeding and maternal and infant iodine nutrition. Clin Endocrinol (Oxf). 2009 May;70(5):803-9. doi: 10.1111/j.1365-2265.2008.03442.x. Epub 2008 Oct 6. http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/19178515
  6. The effects of iodine on intelligence in children: a meta-analysis of studies conducted in China. Asia Pac J Clin Nutr. 2005;14(1):32-42.   http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15734706
  7. Toloza FJK, Motahari H, Maraka S, Consequences of Severe Iodine Deficiency in Pregnancy: Evidence in Humans, MINI REVIEW article, Front. Endocrinol., 19 June 2020, Sec. Thyroid Endocrinology, https://doi.org/10.3389/fendo.2020.00409, https://www.frontiersin.org/articles/10.3389/fendo.2020.00409/full

Integrity and health

Integrity – has a two part definition – 1) regarding personal characteristic the aspect of honesty and having values – 2) regarding the physical state of wholeness, the person or substance or nation is complete and undivided.

Currently there is too much division in many areas between groups of people with different beliefs. Race,  religion, science, whatever the difference there is something in common, we share one planet. Infertility is increasing in humans and in many other species. Loss of insects causes a ripple effect up the food chain as plants are not pollinated and other species don’t have adequate food either from the loss of plants or the loss of insects. Infertility treatments are a costly procedure that is becoming common enough that some governments with nationalized health insurance have to decide about paying, which then leads to a question of who deserves the treatments and how many times. Five million dollars is the cost of fertility treatments in some areas of the world and there is no guarantee that it will work. How many treatments to attempt?

My own field of work experience could be described as a fertility expert – not an infertility expert who helps people conceive, instead a counselor who helped people who already had conceived have the healthiest pregnancy possible, or counseled about preparing for a healthy pregnancy for their next child. Something I heard frequently enough to stand out in my memory was something like, “I wasn’t trying to get pregnant, I had just worked really hard to get healthier and had lost weight and was exercising and now here I am pregnant.” Tragedy for many is not being able to conceive even with a variety of interventions. (information and statistics about infertility, cdc.gov) Focusing on health first was what seemed a successful method from a retrospective point of view. Tragedy did visit some, who was likely to miscarry? Not typically those who had achieved health first. The last post suggests also that adequate iodine and thyroid function may be part of the answer.

Self respect – confidence and faith in your own abilities and value.

How can I help you,” was recommended as a valuable question to ask for leadership or business. It is helpful in many roles. People don’t want to feel coerced or manipulated and are more likely to accept or participate with plans that they have had a part in making. The flaw in overly depending on the strategy is when people don’t know what they don’t know – if they don’t know about the possibility or value in something new than how can they ask for help with it? Horseless carriages and electric light-bulbs are two inventions that people were initially skeptical about trying. Elevators initially had elevator operators to push the buttons, in part to help people feel safer about riding in the new-fangled contraption, in part because the doors were not automated. A few elevator operators still work in higher price buildings, it adds a level of security as well as a prestige service. (The Benefits of an Elevator Operator).

If I felt that I could help and didn’t I wouldn’t feel good about myself however I can only help within my ability to help and continue to take care of myself. Mothers learn that being sick is no vacation from motherhood.

My goal with writing online and trying a few different website formats is for the purpose of trying to share self care information with those who seek it out. The preventative education prenatal/early childhood program in which was very effective and to me seemed even better than the care I had received from my health insurance covered medical care. Preventative health education takes time that typical medical appointments don’t have to spare. Providing self directed educational resources online can allow adult learners to access the information that they are interested in as they need it, as they develop the interest in seeking it out – answering their own question of “How can I help myself?

The Science of Self-Care: How climate researchers are coping with the U.N. report, Eric Holthaus @EricHolthausgrist.org.

Sea-level rise and flooding is one thing, people get wet, immigrate, and create huge problems. Loss of biodiversity means the human species as a whole is threatened to disappear. No joke. This is not discussed enough in the media.” – Eric Rignot @erignotgrist.org.

/Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes./

Iodine and Hydrogen Ions

To make a complex topic simple – iodine is a metallic element that can be electrically active and it helps stabilize water and hydrogen ions in a electrically active form. The combination of iodine and water in ionic form can create changes in protein structure more rapidly than regular enzymatic chemical reactions. The combination can effect DNA and mitochondria which helps explain why iodine is so important to infant development and energy levels throughout life.

Iodine is known as the mineral used in the thyroid hormone which is essential for energy metabolism but it is also essential for mitochondria which produce energy within every cell.

For more details: Tensegrity #6: Hydrogen Bonding Networks in Water, by Dr. Jack Kruse, a neurosurgeon, jackkruse.com.

Iodine & Proton Tunneling in Tadpole Development:

  • Providing iodine allows normal development of frog tadpoles even when they are missing normal pituitary or thyroid gland function which typically would disrupt the loss of their tail and growth of legs. (Accelerated Metamorphosis of Frog Tadpoles by Injections of Extract of Anterior Lobe Pituitary Gland and the Administration of Iodinepdf)
  • A video with a simple explanation of proton tunneling (positive hydrogen ions are a single positive proton, the negative electron likely remains with the oxygen atom of a water molecule), and the role proton tunneling may help a tadpole change into a four legged frog is available in a video: How do tadpoles change into frogs: The secrets of quantum physics. Spark.
  • Early stages of human development is somewhat similar to the changes seen in a frog tadpole. Between weeks four to seven of human fetal development the fertilized egg changes from a sphere shaped ball of cells into a tadpole type shape and then eventually into more of a human infant shape. (fetal development)
  • Early miscarriages in human pregnancy may be more of a risk if the woman is low in iodine levels. (Iodine status in women after early miscarriages in the Czech Republic, endocrine-abstracts.org)
  • Apathy, depression, slightly or significantly reduced cognitive skills, feeling cold in normal room temperatures, constipation, and sparse hair growth may all be symptoms of iodine deficiency in addition to increased risk for miscarriage in early pregnancy.  Food sources and symptoms of deficiency for iodine and selenium are available here: Iodine & Thyroid, effectivecare.info)

Humans need iodine, we are water based creatures, 60-70% water, and it is electrically stabilized and made more chemically efficient by iodine. We grow rapidly during infancy and childhood however we continue to perform rapid electrical reactions in all of our mitochondria in all of our cells, every day of our lives. Loss of mitochondria function has been linked to many chronic illnesses and with aging.

We need iodine because the water within our brain cells and other cells need iodine and the hydrogen ion rich plasma of our mitochondria need iodine.  Quantum proton tunneling saves energy, – it is how the sun works too.

/Disclaimer: This information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes./

Prenatal ultrasounds are a great idea, but for baby too?

I told you the last story to tell you a different one. My father is not a computer scientist but as a mechanical engineer and he liked to build things in his spare time in a home workshop with many tools with which he could custom make hand engineered parts built to fit whatever the project required.

As a professional mechanical engineer he worked on national defense projects for a company who contracted with the U.S. government.  He didn’t own the patents on any of his work as a employee; all rights to his inventions and collaborations remained the property of the company. Feeling proud to work in defense of your country is a reward in itself.

One of the projects he worked on in collaboration with two other engineers is still in active production. Underwater detection of submarines is performed with sound-waves, somewhat like whale’s communicating with songs that travel across oceans, or like bat’s sending out clicks and listening for the rebound in echo location. Fascinating and not my area to try to explain in more detail. The Sonar detecting equipment that my father helped invent is still in production for the defense of the nation and I am very proud of him and his work.

Since the initial invention of the sound-wave technology the same “ultrasound” technology was adapted for use to make black and white images of the interior of the body that are formed of soft tissue and can’t be viewed with an X-Ray in the way that hard bone tissue can be viewed. The ultrasound technology can be used to view organs or look for tumors and it is now regularly used to view and make images of a fetus during it’s prenatal development.

The use of ultrasound imaging for viewing babies has become almost standard as an early proof of pregnancy even though it is not necessary as lab tests checking hormonal changes are also performed.

The use of ultrasound imaging during pregnancies has become standard in the United States, however women in China may not receive an ultrasound during their pregnancies.

To skip back to the whale song momentarily — try to visualize the sound-waves of a deep long note or tone that is strong enough to travel across an ocean and now the bat clicking. The deep long note travels across the ocean from one whale to another and is heard as communication.  Or the clicks of a dolphin or a bat are sent out in long deep or shorter more rapid notes that bounces off an object and returns to be interpreted as a map or echo location. Now try to visualize the ultrasound technician holding an ultrasound device that sends long deep notes through the abdomen into the watery environment surrounding or making up the body of the baby. Sound travels well through liquid and it would be loud.

Research studies on the effects of ultrasound imaging on the expected fetus took place in China with a group of women who were requesting abortions. Other studies with animal subjects have replicated part of the results which showed that ultrasound could cause fetal cells to move out of place within the developing infant. Ultrasound waves when held in one place for a longer time and at a closer distance were found to cause actual movement of fetal cells out of their normal positions.  [The animal-based research study.]

Other risks were also noted in the research performed in China, most significantly when the imaging wand was used for ten minutes instead of three and when it was used in an internal, vaginal position instead of using a larger external sweeping motion across the expanse of the abdomen. [pubmed/11776185 ]

The other risks to the infant included increased heat especially within the bony cavity of the skull which has been studied elsewhere without any babies. A container of water was found to consistently have an increase in temperature occur after just one minute of ultrasound exposure. Specific types of ultrasound devices vary somewhat and the recommendations and cautions regarding ultrasound use in pregnancy are available in this research article: [PMC4547707 ] Avoiding use of ultrasounds during the first trimester is recommended in the article and using the lowest settings possible for patients who have a medical need for ultrasound imaging is recommended for prenatal patients in later stages of pregnancy.

Gastroschisis is a rare medical condition in a developing fetus that might require an ultrasound for diagnosis around 18-20 weeks/gestation as surgery would be needed shortly after the baby’s birth as the condition would likely be deadly otherwise. An opening in the infant’s abdomen near the umbilical cord allows some of the intestine and/or liver to be outside of the body. [cincinnatichildrens.org/gastroschisis]

Protecting the developing brain of the fetus is important throughout the pregnancy but  the greatest risk to the fetus from ultrasounds may occur during the first trimester according to a research study that took place elsewhere than China.

  • A book, 50 Human Studies, in Utero, Conducted in Modern China, Indicate Extreme Risk for Prenatal Ultrasound: A New Bibliography by Jim West, a non-Chinese scientist, is available in which the findings from the Chinese studies are summarized for English readers and a Japanese translation is now also available. The book is mentioned on the following site along with a variety of links to research on the topic of the use of ultrasounds prenatally and a potential increased risk for autism developing in the infant later in life: ultrasound-autism.org
  • A lengthy review of the book and the history of how it came to be written by Jim West is available here: whale.to/50 Human Studies.
  • An excerpt summarizes the recommendation regarding ultrasound use prenatally based on findings by a project that ultimately involved approximately 100 scientists in China and 2,700 maternal-fetal pairs, between 1988-2011 :

“From these human studies, Professor Ruo Feng, of the Acoustic Institute at Nanjing University, published guidelines in 2000:

“Commercial or educational fetal ultrasound imaging should be strictly eliminated. Ultrasound for the identification of fetal sex and fetal entertainment imaging should be strictly eliminated. For the best early pregnancy, avoid ultrasound.”

Ruo Feng, who reviewed many of the studies, stipulated that routine ultrasound be avoided. Only if there were exceptional medical indications should ultrasound be allowed, and at minimum intensity. Sessions should be very brief, no more than 3 minutes, 5 minutes at most. Multiple sessions should be avoided because hazards are cumulative. Human studies had found sensitive organs damaged at 1 minute exposure.

The Chinese studies echo and confirm the earlier, ignored and rejected, 1984 “Consensus Statement”, published by the National Institute of Health and signed by the preeminent American scientists of that era. 2″  – whale.to/50 Human Studies

  • I learned of this research on the potential risks of ultrasound when researching other topics on possible causes of autism. Many factors may be involved in the risk of autism developing, which, in combination, can lead to changes occurring in the developing fetus that aren’t obvious in the infant but which may flair up into an autoimmune-like reaction during toddler-hood if there are enough negative factors and not enough or an adequate variety of nutrients and other positive factors in the child’s home life. Genetic susceptibilities are also involved but none identified thus far have been found to lead to autism without there being additional environmental toxins or nutrient deficiencies involved.
  • Autism can be caused by the use of thalidomide prenatally. That wouldn’t be recommended as the medication can also cause physical birth defects when used during a pregnancy, however it is a medication used for some non-pregnancy related conditions and there might be an occasional unplanned pregnancy. The point is not only that planning pregnancies is recommended so that prenatal vitamins can be started months in advance (ideally a year prior to conception for least risk of autism in one study); and so that potentially toxic medications can be gradually stopped before trying to conceive; but that if autism can be caused by a medication then how could it also be a natural variation?
  • Family studies suggest that personality traits slightly similar to autistic characteristics can be more common in the family members of patients with autism. Protecting the developing fetus from ultrasounds that are too intense, or go on for too long a time causing over-heating can be a simple way to help protect the child’s true genetic potential. Higher functioning people with Asperger’s like symptoms and skills may represent the more natural variation end of the autism spectrum while patients at the least functioning end of the spectrum have likely been exposed to more variety of toxins and possibly with less nutrients available or less genetic detoxification ability available to excrete the toxins.
  • The use of ultrasounds in addition to other factors may all be adding up to increased rate of autism that has been seen in our modern culture.
  • Using equipment that was originally designed to  detect submarines to take pictures of a developing infant is a practice to use cautiously rather than allowing it to become typical for all pregnancies or to be available for non-medical reasons, possibly performed by non-medical staff who may not follow safe procedures in the pursuit of a better image. In some areas the technology has been used for photo-booth type purposes, “Have you noticed ultrasound boutiques popping up in strip malls?”. Read more: birthrelaxationkit.com/ Ultrasound Concerns for Baby’s Development.
  • If the damage can accumulate with repeated exposure as suggested by the statement by Dr. Ruo Feng then each additional ultrasound may be adding to the risk of a neurological conditions such as autism.

Ultrasound technology is currently being used medically in other ways then prenatal or soft tissue imaging. It may be used specifically as a heat treatment on sore or cramped muscles during a physical therapy session.  And still in the research phases, high frequency ultrasound waves are being used at more intense strengths to actually kill cancer cells. That would be a safer technique for the health of the surrounding tissue than using radiation on cancerous tumors. X-ray type radiation is directed at the tumor in a rotating manner so that surrounding tissue gets less rays while the tumor gets a maximum dose in order to kill the cancerous cells.

So killing cancer cells with high frequency soundwaves sounds like a great idea compared to being rotated on a table while an X-ray is directed at a tumor. Eating healthy and not getting a tumor also sounds good.

  • Having an ultrasound during the first trimester of a pregnancy doesn’t sound good to me. Disclosure – I declined any ultrasounds for both of my pregnancies. I had listened to my dad play whale songs for too many hours of my youth to want my babies to have a sound wave ray gun directed at them. My thought at the time, which research suggests was an accurate concern, was, “I don’t want to risk scrambling my baby’s brain just to see what sex it is. I’d prefer to wait and see anyway.”
  • At the time of my pregnancies, ultrasounds were still a fairly “new-fangled” invention or service which was offered as a choice rather than being expected with every single “I’m expecting a baby” announcement. Send a photo of the urine test stick instead or the results from the official lab test. Once you’ve seen one black and white fuzzy image of a blob, you’ve seen them all – you can trust me on that. Ultrasound images have become so standard they are used as proof of pregnancy for agencies that offer free services to women who are pregnant and I admired a lot of little adorable blobs — women can be very protective of their babies, no matter what they look like.

So protecting your newly conceived baby’s brain seems worth considering , not just the fuzzy image for a birth announcement.

In high risk pregnancies there may be an increased number of ultrasounds recommended, possibly just to be cautious. It is okay as a patient to ask questions about medical necessity and what is truly necessary and what is possibly being recommended to look thorough in case of a potential malpractice suit. If the ultrasound tests themselves may be increasing risk to the infant though, then how cautious is it to use them more often just because a woman’s pregnancy has some high risk factor?

It’s okay to ask questions. It’s your baby, your body, and your baby’s brain and future at risk.

  • A whale song combined with music by a musician I listened to as a child can be heard online; Whale Lullaby, with music by Paul Winter: Youtube.

Disclaimer: Opinions are my own and the information is provided for educational purposes within the guidelines of fair use. While I am a Registered Dietitian this information is not intended to provide individual health guidance. Please see a health professional for individual health care purposes.