Nakanishi's bill warns against 3-D ultrasounds

Under new legislation, expecting mothers wishing to get a three-dimensional digital copy of an ultrasound must be warned that the machines are being used against the advice of the U.S. Food and Drug Administration.

The bill, signed by Gov. Arnold Schwarzenegger late Monday, was authored by Assemblyman Alan Nakanishi, R-Lodi, who wanted to ensure that pregnant women are better informed before purchasing certain fetal images.

Over the last 10 to 15 years, the practice of offering keepsake 3-D photos, CDs and videos of fetuses in the womb has increased.

But as early as 1994, the FDA notified the medical community and the ultra-sound industry regarding its concerns about the misuse of diagnostic ultrasound equipment for non-medical purposes, and asked them to discourage their patients.

While ultrasound is considered by the medical community to be a safe technology, ultrasound waves can produce mechanical vibrations and a rise in temperature in human tissue, said Nakanishi, an opthamologist.

In some cases, the ultrasound machine may be used for as long as an hour to get a video of the fetus.

The FDA says exposing the fetus to ultrasound without any medical benefit is unjustified.

"In my practice, it has always been used for medically necessary procedures," Nakanishi said in a press release. "These new businesses that are popping up have taken a serious medical diagnosis tool and are recklessly using it as a camera. saidMothers deserve to know about these medical concerns before they purchase this service."

The issue was brought to Nakanishi attention by a Sacramento OBGYN, said Aaron Bone, Nakanishi's legislative director.

"The most troubling factor for him was you've got a woman going in here who may not be getting wonderful (medical) care, but sees the image and might think, 'I saw baby. He looks great, he has two legs and two arms,'" Bone said, adding that there is one such business in Stockton.

"We don't want people to think ultrasound is unsafe, but it needs to be used the way it was intended."

The legislation is supported by the California Medical Association, the American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists, and the California Radiological Society.