Medical experts warned that mothers should not use ultrasound technology just to know the gender of their babies or to have souvenir photos while they're still inside the womb, Science Daily reported.
According to officials from Chicago's Loyola University Health System, ultrasound should only be used for medical purposes.
The medical officials issued the warning after several facilities offering ultrasound services started to appear in public areas such as malls.
According to the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA), these facilities use ultrasound technology to provide expectant parents photo images or video footages of their unborn child through the use of ultrasound technology.
The agency warned that ultrasound produces heat that can affect tissues. Although the health-related effects are still unknown, the heat can lead to the formation of bubbles in the tissue.
Aside from commercial facilities, the FDA also warned about the use of over-the-counter handheld devices known as Doppler ultrasound heartbeat monitors to listen to a fetus' heartbeat.
"When the product is purchased over the counter and used without consultation with a health care professional taking care of the pregnant woman, there is no oversight of how the device is used," the FDA's biomedical engineer Dr. Shahram Vaezy said in a statement.
"Furthermore, the number of sessions or the length of a session in scanning a fetus is uncontrolled, and that increases the potential for harm to the fetus and eventually the mother," Vaezy added.
Due to its potential health hazards, medical professionals strongly advice against the use of ultrasound for entertainment purposes.
"Ultrasound is a valuable tool when done for medical purposes by trained professionals," Dr. Jean Goodman of the Loyola University Health System said in a statement. "But this technology should not be used for entertainment purposes to see an image of a baby or to identify gender."
The doctor then urged mothers and parents to seek professional medical services for their prenatal needs instead of turning to uncertified facilities.
"Keepsake ultrasound facilities are not regulated and you don't want to expose expectant mothers and babies to medical technology in the wrong hands," Goodman said.
