Tom Cruise Inspires Ultrasound Legislation in California

Tom Cruise Inspires Ultrasound Legislation
Private Use Should Be Banned, State Lawmaker Says

POSTED: 2:19 pm PDT May 3, 2006
UPDATED: 2:22 pm PDT May 3, 2006


SACRAMENTO, Calif. -- When Tom Cruise announced he had bought an ultrasound machine so he could see his unborn daughter, a California lawmaker thought the "Mission Impossible" star had gone too far.

The California Assembly is scheduled to debate a bill Thursday that would ban manufacturers in the state from selling the imaging devices to anyone but a licensed medical professional.

"If someone sees Tom Cruise buy one, they think this is the thing to do," said Democratic Assemblyman Ted Lieu, who wrote the bill after consulting with his brother, a radiologist, and brother-in-law, a doctor.

Although Cruise's fiancee, Katie Holmes, gave birth to a healthy baby girl April 18, Lieu said he fears copycat fans might buy ultrasound machines for home use, which doctors say could harm a fetus.

snip...
"Although there is no evidence that these physical effects can harm the fetus, public health experts, clinicians and industry agree that casual exposure to ultrasound, especially during pregnancy, should be avoided," according to summary on the FDA's web site. "Viewed in this light, exposing the fetus to ultrasound with no anticipation of medical benefit is not justified."

more...
http://www.kcra.com/news/9155891/detail.html

What the Hell ever.

not as expensive as one would think.

http://www.plus-size-pregnancy.org/Prenatal%20Testing/prenataltest-ultrasoundsafety.htm#The%20Basic%20Issues

seems like quite a balanced perspective on the issue, a good read.