Ultrasounds and trauma
Ultrasound Trauma: What We Heard from Women During the Pandemic
As a maternity care researcher and someone who has experienced pregnancy loss myself, I’ve long been aware that prenatal care can be both a joyful and deeply vulnerable time. During the COVID-19 pandemic, this vulnerability was intensified in ways we hadn’t seen before. Myself and my fellow researchers wanted to understand what this meant for women and birthing people attending prenatal ultrasounds - often alone, often anxious - under health system restrictions that prioritised infection control, sometimes at the expense of emotional wellbeing and existing supports.
Our recently published study set out to explore just that. We surveyed over 1,200 people across Australia who had at least one prenatal ultrasound during the height of the pandemic restrictions. The results were sobering: nearly 37 percent of respondents returned scores consistent with probable post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD). Many also reported high levels of distress, unmet expectations, and dissatisfaction with their care.
We found that people who experienced unexpected or concerning ultrasound findings, such as a pregnancy loss or a fetal anomaly, were especially at risk. Their trauma scores were higher. So too were people with pre-existing mental health diagnoses or prior pregnancy complications. Perhaps most concerning, many said they felt unsupported, isolated, and retraumatised during what should have been routine care.
One of the most distressing aspects we heard about was having to repeat their story at each appointment. For people navigating grief, loss, or trauma, this repetition can be painful and triggering. Our data also showed that when support people (often partners) were excluded from appointments due to restrictions, satisfaction with care dropped significantly.
This study has given a name to something many have felt but not been able to articulate: ultrasound trauma. It’s real, and it matters. For some, it’s not “just a scan.” It’s a moment that can carry the weight of fear, previous loss, uncertainty, and isolation.
The key message from our findings is this: we need to build trauma-responsive principles into maternity care. That means recognising the potential for distress during procedures like ultrasounds, creating space for support people wherever possible, and ensuring continuity of care and communication. Most importantly, it means training clinicians to respond to emotional as well as physical needs, especially in times of upheaval.
While this research focused on a specific moment in history, the lessons are enduring. Trauma doesn’t disappear when restrictions ease. But with awareness, compassion, and better systems, we can do more to make pregnancy care truly safe - not just medically, but emotionally too.
To every person who shared their story with us: thank you. Your voices are shaping a better future for maternity care.
Link to full paper: https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/birt.12867
