Routine ultrasound screening in pregnancy and the children's subsequent handedness.
OBJECTIVE
To study a possible association between ultrasound screening in early pregnancy and altered cerebral dominance measured by the prevalence of non-right handedness among children, particularly boys.


METHODS
Follow-up of 8 to 9 year old children to women who participated in a randomised controlled trial on ultrasound screening during pregnancy in 1985-87. The children were followed up through a questionnaire sent to their mothers. The dominant hand of the child was assessed by eleven questions. The dominant foot by one question.


RESULTS
No differences were found in non-right handedness between children in the screening and non-screening group. In separate analyses on ultrasound exposure and non-right handedness among boys a significant difference was found (odds ratio 1.33; 95% confidence interval 1.02-1.74).


CONCLUSIONS
This study could not rule out a possible association between non-right handedness among boys and ultrasound exposure in early fetal life. The association was, however, confined to analyses comparing exposed and non-exposed boys and no associations were found when the comparisons were performed according to the randomised groups.
Kieler
H
H
Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Uppsala University, Sweden.
Axelsson
O
O
Haglund
B
B
Nilsson
S
S
Salvesen
K A
KA
D002648:Child; D015331:Cohort Studies; D016001:Confidence Intervals; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005528:Foot / Q000502:physiology; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology*; D006225:Hand / Q000502:physiology*; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D016017:Odds Ratio; D011247:Pregnancy; D011297:Prenatal Exposure Delayed Effects; D012727:Sex Characteristics; D011795:Surveys and Questionnaires; D016216:Ultrasonography, Prenatal / Q000009:adverse effects*