Are First Beats Fetal Heart Dopplers safe to use?
Dopplers have been in daily use around the world now for over 30 years and it is estimated that there are tens of thousands of Dopplers in use everyday. Extensive testing by Australian and overseas government and non government organisations have shown no adverse effects to the mother or unborn baby from Doppler ultrasound. Further to this, The Australian Society for Ultrasound in Medicine had this to say about continuous wave Dopplers like First Beats Dopplers: “Diagnostic devices emitting continuous wave Doppler ultrasound are used to monitor fetal and neonatal heartbeat. This equipment emits low power levels and its use is not contra-indicated on safety grounds, even when applied for extended periods.” However the technology behind ultrasound scanning is complicated and it’s important to remember that this is research that was based on the work of health professionals who have training and guidance for its use.
