Are hand-held ultrasound Dopplers save?

One of the main problems using these devices in the home that are intended for professionals. It takes years of training and practice to find and correctly identify the heartbeat of the child.

You can buy or rent a portable Doppler ultrasound of the many companies on the Internet. However, most doctors and midwives recommend using them at home.

Can not find the heartbeat of the child can cause a lot of worries. You can not always be sure that the child can hear a heartbeat. It is very easy to raise the voice of the blood flowing through the placenta or the boat-house and this error is not for the heart. It is therefore recommended not to use Doppler in the house because they can fake convincingly.

In terms of technology they use, fetal Dopplers are considered safe. They are small, battery-operated device that sends ultrasound waves with high frequency. Typically, these headphones control, built-in speakers and transducer placed his collision.

ultrasonic waves through the skin and tissue, and then rose again. This mental, and then translated into sound, so you can hear the child, for example, a heartbeat sound. Place the gel on the skin, which helps in the transmission of waves.

British Medical Ultrasound Society (BMUS) says that there was never evidence of damages resulting from the use of ultrasound during pregnancy. Handheld Dopplers work at very low power, the so-called continuous wave Doppler. This means that they are safe for use in the long term. CTG machine that midwives sometimes use the manpower to monitor the heart of a child in the electronic work in the same way.

Scan using Doppler ultrasound something else, called pulse wave Doppler to measure blood flow. Pulsed Doppler ultrasound beam must be focused on one small area. Doppler-type is greater intensity, and therefore used only for certain reasons, for example, to see if the placenta is functioning correctly. It is not recommended for use in a long time.

And not by acquiring its own devices Doppler may be better to find out how your child is doing in another way. Watch your baby's movements, so it feels and go to all the promises of pregnancy. This is an important way to monitor your child's health.

If you know of any changes in your baby's movements, contact your doctor or midwife. Not only to play by listening to the Doppler. Can not recognize a change of course or the rhythm of your heartbeat baby, which must be checked.

If you still feel that you want to buy a Doppler for home use, there are several things to remember:

* Talk to your doctor or midwife about purchasing Doppler. Or the next time you have a routine scan, the front asked him what he thinks.


* Ignore the manufacturer of devices that can be downloaded from the heart nine weeks. Midwife will not even try to listen to the heart of a child in the first trimester of pregnancy. This is because the uterus (womb) is still in the pelvis. The device will operate normally until you are at least 13 weeks of pregnancy.

* Make sure the product in accordance with safety standards and comes with a guarantee.


* Compare prices and see what it contains. Some dopplers including batteries, gel and issues, others do not.


* Make sure that there are instructions and tips on how to interpret what you hear.


* Use only the gel is designed for use with ultrasound. gel or other oils causing the excess static and can damage the Doppler.