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Law: No Ultrasound Unless Approved By Doc

Tests Pose Potential Risks To Mom, Baby, Law Says

POSTED: 2:22 pm EDT July 1, 2009
UPDATED: 2:28 pm EDT July 1, 2009

A new law has been passed that prevents moms-to-be from getting ultrasounds unless they’re approved by a doctor.

One mom-to-be, Rebecca Rylander, who is five months pregnant with her first child, got a 4D ultrasound on Wednesday, but she needed extra paperwork because of the new law signed by Gov. Jodi Rell.

The law, which went into effect Wednesday, bars anyone from performing “keepsake” ultrasounds and in-utero videos on any pregnant woman without a doctor’s order for medical or diagnostic reasons because of the potential risks to the baby and mother.

“I don't think the Legislature should be telling you when you can and can’t see your child,” said Rylander, a Torrington resident.

Gina Beaudoin said she performs ultrasounds, which take about 30 minutes and cost about $150. She said they aren’t covered by health insurance.

Beaudoin said they are safe and that her patients already have to prove they are under a doctor’s care.

“What we do here is ensure that they've already had a scan from their doctor checking for abnormalities,” she said. “They cannot see us until that scan has taken place.”

Supporters of the law said the ultrasound is inappropriate and can be harmful if done repeatedly, though there is no evidence to support long-term injuries to women or their unborn babies.

But Rylander said she found out on Wednesday that she’s having a girl, which she wouldn’t have known without the ultrasound.

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