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Does prenatal sonography affect intellectual performance?

Helle Kieler1, Bengt Haglund, Sven Cnattingius

  • 1Department of Medical Epidemiology and Biostatistics, Karolinska Institutet, PO Box 281, SE-171 77 Stockholm, Sweden. Helle.Kieler@meb.ki.se

Epidemiology (Cambridge, Mass.)
|April 13, 2005
PubMed
Summary

Prenatal ultrasound exposure showed a small association with lower intellectual performance in a large Swedish study. However, the study ultimately failed to demonstrate a clear link between ultrasound and cognitive abilities.

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Area of Science:

  • Medical Imaging
  • Neuroscience
  • Developmental Biology

Background:

  • Potential risks of prenatal ultrasound on fetal development are largely unknown.
  • The developing brain is sensitive to environmental factors, with animal studies suggesting ultrasound may impact cognitive abilities.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To investigate the association between prenatal ultrasound exposure and intellectual performance in a large cohort of men.
  • To assess if ultrasound scanning during pregnancy correlates with cognitive outcomes in offspring.

Main Methods:

  • A cohort study of Swedish men born between 1973-1978, assessed for intellectual performance during military service.
  • Intellectual scores were measured, with subnormal performance defined as a score of 3 or less.
  • Linear and logistic regression analyses were used to compare intellectual scores and risks of subnormal performance between exposed and unexposed groups.

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Main Results:

  • Men exposed to prenatal ultrasound (n=7999) had slightly lower intellectual scores (mean difference = -0.16) and an increased risk of subnormal performance (odds ratio = 1.28) compared to unexposed men (n=197,829).
  • However, lower scores were also observed in men from the same region before ultrasound introduction, and the decrease post-introduction was minimal.
  • No significant differences in intellectual performance were found within pairs of brothers based on ultrasound exposure.

Conclusions:

  • This study did not establish a definitive association between prenatal ultrasound scanning and intellectual performance.
  • While a small association was observed, confounding factors and lack of significant differences within sibling pairs suggest ultrasound is unlikely to be a major determinant of intellectual outcome.