Ultrasound

Sonograms are computer images of things inside your body created by high-energy sound waves. Sonograms use sound waves instead of radiation which makes it a little safer. One of the most popular areas in sonography is ultrasounds. These machines are used as image and diagnostic tools. They are more commonly used in obstetrics and gynecology during a woman's pregnancy.

Many women opt for ultrasounds mainly because it allows them to know the sex of their baby and the health of their baby. The majority of medical professionals suggest the use of ultrasounds to find out if there are any health risk to the baby or the mother and make sure that they are both healthy. The first ultrasound used for gynelogical purposes was not used until 1955, by Professor Ian Donald. Professor Ian Donald is considered "the father of Ob/Gyn ultrasound." (Roberta Speyer) The ultrasound was first used during the war in the early 1950's. During that time it was used for military purposes for tracking missiles, aircrafts, and other metal things. It was never actually considered to be used on humans until Professor Donald brought the idea to light. The first time Professor Donald used the ultrasound for gynecological puposes was when a woman had an enormous swelling everyone else had diagnosed it as a malignant tumor. By that time Professor Donald had moved to Glasglow and become the Regius Professor of Midwifery. He decided to use the ultrasound to fully observe the woman's swelling. He then came to the conclusion that what she had was a benign cyst and that he needed to operate. After completing a successful operation Professor Donald proved that ultrasound could be used for gynecological purposes. Thus, becoming "the father of ob/gyn ultrasounds."(Roberta Speyer) Professor Donald was not the first person to use the ultrasound for medical purposes though. This actually came about between 1947-1949, by Dr. George D. Ludwig at the