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Controversy Brews Over "Keepsake" Fetal Ultrasounds

Rebecca Voelker

JAMA. 2005;293:25-27.

	Since this article does not have an abstract, we have provided the first 150 words of the full text and any section headings.

Fetal images created with 3-dimensional (3D) ultrasound as "keepsakes" for expectant couples have triggered a new debate about the provision of nonmedical services in physicians’ offices.

The controversy stems from the advent of commercial operations in malls and other nonmedical settings offering fetal ultrasounds for the purpose of producing mementos, not diagnoses. These procedures may be performed by noncertified personnel with little more than a weekend’s worth of training. It’s difficult to estimate how many keepsake ultrasound businesses there are in the United States, but some claim to have branches in more than 20 states and others report that they perform more than 100 scans per month.

The use of 3-dimensional ultrasound for fetal imaging to create mementos for parents rather than for diagnostic purposes is triggering a debate regarding the practice. (Photo credit: http://www.geddeskeepsake.com)

Earlier this year, as the popularity of the keepsake industry seemed to . . . [Full Text of this Article]

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