Public Health Committee
AN ACT CONCERNING ULTRASOUND PROCEDURES FOR MEDICAL AND DIAGNOSTIC PURPOSES
SUMMARY: This act prohibits anyone from performing an obstetrical ultrasound procedure unless it is (1) for a medical or diagnostic purpose and (2) ordered by a licensed health care provider acting within the scope of his or her practice.
EFFECTIVE DATE: July 1, 2009
BACKGROUND
Obstetrical Ultrasound
Ultrasound imaging, also called ultrasound scanning or sonography, involves exposing part of the body to high-frequency sound waves to produce pictures of the inside of the body. Ultrasound exams do not use ionizing radiation (as used in X-rays). Because ultrasound images are captured as they actually occur, they can show the structure and movement of the body's internal organs, as well as blood flowing through blood vessels.
Obstetrical ultrasound provides pictures of an embryo or fetus within a woman's uterus. During an obstetrical ultrasound, the examiner may evaluate blood flow in the umbilical cord or may, in some cases, assess blood flow in the fetus or placenta. Obstetrical ultrasound is a useful clinical test to:
1. establish the presence of a living embryo or fetus,
2. estimate the age of the pregnancy,
3. diagnose congenital abnormalities of the fetus,
4. evaluate the position of the fetus and placenta,
5. determine if there are multiple pregnancies,
6. determine the amount of amniotic fluid around the baby,
7. check for opening or shortening of the cervix or mouth of the womb, and
8. assess fetal growth and well-being.
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