Prenatal ultrasound and childhood autism: long-term follow-up after a randomized controlled trial of first-<i>vs</i>second-trimester ultrasound

Abstract

Women subjected to at least one prenatal ultrasound examination at either 12 or 18 weeks' gestation had children with similar rates of ASD. However, this result reflects routine care 10-15 years ago in Sweden. Today, higher intensity ultrasound scans are performed more frequently, at earlier stages during pregnancy and for non-medical purposes, implying longer exposure time for the fetus. This change in the use of ultrasound necessitates further follow-up study of the possible effects that high exposure to ultrasound during the gestational period has on the developing brain. Copyright © 2016 ISUOG. Published by John Wiley & Sons Ltd.