Baby Scans: Do we need them?

[Emsickle]

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/health/6948015.stm

Any thoughts?

[Fudge Cake]

yes i think we do, it was found on the 12wk scan for my son that he had fulid on his kidneys, reflux. It was measured again at 20wks and decided that he would need treatent as soon as he was born. Also i had a scan at 37wks which showed he was breech and that i needed a c section

[smirnoff]

without my scans (and i had a lot with fern, slightly less with Haz and only the normal 2 with ben) the surgeons wouldnt have known about the low lying placentas which could have killed me without them already knowing about them.

I think its just another way of trying to save money, which it wont do in the long run.. i cant believe they are even thinking about it... for goodness sake, cut back on the salaries of the bloody bureaucrats and leave our nhs alone.....

shall i get off my soap box or continue?

[Netty]

I only had the 20 week scan with both of miine. but I agree that they are important, and early scans should be available too - especially if you have previously had fertility etc problems.

[Emsickle]

I think they are very much needed for a variety of reasons. This person only seems to be focussing on one aspect and not even thinking about any other developmental issues, placenta position issues or anything else.

Friends of mine lost a baby (stillborn) at 36 wks, this time round, were scanned every other week minimum to ensure baby was ok and not only was it reassuring to them, it also showed that everything was ok with the baby and there were no problems.

I've had 12wk and 20wk scans with all of mine, with an additional 37wk scan with DS3 and then my extra 16wk scan with Bean all of which imo have been essential.

[Bfglloyd]

Im glad i had a scan with my first as i had twins! At the birth if they didnt know there was two babies i may of lost both and me, due the complacations there was, they had to monitor from the moment i went into labour.

[Bay-Bee]

Yes I think they are VERY important. I was only offered a 20 week scan here but I think you need to have them.

I think they are saying that do we need to routine scans, wanting to cut down on the routine ones, but we do need them. Things are picked up at the 20 wk one that needs to be picked up

[katetinkley]

I had three early scans (10wks, 12wks and 14wks) due to bleeding, a miscarriage - where they thought I'd lost the baby, but it turned out I'd lost a baby, but still had one, then some more bleeding.

But I turned down the 20 week scan - for similar reasons to those raised by the doctor in his arguement - by that stage everything was fine, it would have been routine, there was no need me to have it, and I know that had they discovered anything, it would have just worried me for the remainder of the pregnancy.

However, I think it's got to be a choice - the problem as I see it, is that it isn't offered as an option, people think you've got to have it - when I told them I didn't want one, I got some really funny comments.

[Sarah]

I think we probably have too many scans. I had 9 scans when I was having Isobel though and I did find them very reassuring as I was bleeding and kept thinking I was going to lose her. The final scan was to confirm that she was breach and what position she was in.

[fourmum]

Yes I do think scans are invaluable however I think sometimes we are scanned too often.I was scanned at 32 weeks as my DS was supposedly small for dates and he ended up being 9lb 4 ozs.Not what I would call small.

[*debbie*]

yes we do...i would have given birth to a very badly handicapped child, docs said she would have died at birth anyway if i had gone to full term, she was that badly disabled. Thanks goodness for scans! :kisshands:

[Squishymama]

I think they can be very helpful- especially if there are problems or something. We discovered some bits at DD's 20 week scan, that could have been potentially very dangerous, but because they were spotted, measures could be taken