Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
Notes
1 There are various conceptions of when a baby comes into existence, conceptions
that build on scientifi c explanations, ideological ideas or religious convictions. It
is therefore reasonable that there are different ways of talking about the baby-to-
be growing in the woman's uterus. In this chapter, I chose to use the terms 'the
expected baby' or 'the baby-to-be'. When I quote the parents or the midwife I
use the term they use themselves.
2 In Swedish maternity care, the father-to-be accompanies the woman to the
routine ultrasound scan in the majority of cases.
3 There has been a considerable change in the use of the ultrasound scan in
pregnancy since the technology was fi rst introduced some 25 years ago. It
was then used only in cases when a disease or malformation was suspected
(Swedish Council on Technology Assessment in Health Care 1998). Today, all
pregnant women are offered a routine ultrasound scan and 97 per cent accept
this offer (Swedish Research Council 2001). Similar to other clinical practices,
the ultrasound examination is evaluated and subject to technical development,
which means that the use of this technology in clinical practice changes over
time.
4 The routine ultrasound scan is part of the health surveillance of pregnant
women in Swedish maternity care (Swedish National Board of Health and
Welfare 1996), and generally carried out by midwives with a special training in
ultrasonography. The pregnant woman is informed about the routine ultrasound
examination during the registration visit at the maternity health care centre, and
an appointment is booked. A short booklet is handed over, with information
about the purpose of the ultrasound examination and what it is possible to see
at the scan.
5 For an extended treatment of the phases and the structure of the encounter, see
my doctoral dissertation (Jonsson 2004).
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