$Unique_ID{BRK00323}
$Pretitle{Special Procedures and Laboratory Tests}
$Title{Safety of Sonography for the Newborn}
$Subject{sonogram sound newborn}
$Volume{P-1}
$Log{}

Copyright (c) 1991   Tribune Media Services, Inc.


Safety of Sonography for the Newborn


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QUESTION:  There are some problems with my newborn baby, and the doctor we use
has advised us to allow examination of the baby's head with a machine that
passes sound through the brain to make a picture.  We are concerned that this
may make things worse since we have read that sound waves can kill.  Can you
explain if this is a safe thing for us to do?

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ANSWER:  You didn't explain your baby's condition in your letter, but the fact
that your own physician is advising you to undertake these procedures would
indicate that there must be good reasons for them.  The good news is that the
examination, utilizing a technique called sonography, is a very safe one, with
no known harmful effects, and even more important, no pain to the child.
These sound waves are quite different from the harmful ones you've read about,
differing in both frequency and intensity, and there is no possible chance of
changing them by mistake.  Sonography is particularly useful in children and
can provide fine details of the anatomy of the area being evaluated.  There is
no radiation either, as would be the case if x-rays were used.  The physicians
are able to "see" the image as it is being created, and can move the
instrument, called a transducer, in different directions, or can change the
angle to get just the right picture they need to help discover the problem
your child may have.  Since a babies head is not fully formed or calcified,
the examination uses the soft spots in the head, called fontanelles, as a
location for the transducer, and thus can obtain the clearest possible
pictures.  This can provide your physicians with an enormous amount of vital
information, necessary to diagnose your infants ills in the shortest possible
time, and in a manner that is not the least traumatic to the infant.
ÿ
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The material contained here is "FOR INFORMATION ONLY" and should not replace 
the counsel and advice of your personal physician.  Promptly consulting your 
doctor is the best path to a quick and successful resolution of any medical 
problem.
