Procedural hazards of neonatal ultrasonography

Neonatal ultrasonography entails potential procedural hazards to the newborn infant. When performing ultrasound studies, the examiner may inadvertently move the endotracheal tube or may facilitate the spread of infection from one baby to another. The examiner should also be aware that the pressure of applying the transducer to the scalp is transmitted to the central nervous system and that the baby may become hypothermic during the procedure. Precautions include minimizing head and neck movement and application of pressure on the fontanel, using prewarmed coupling gel, which is removed after scanning, careful handwashing, and wiping the transducer with 70% isopropyl alcohol or 2% alkalinized glutaraldehyde between studies.