Obstetric ultrasound: who should perform sonograms?

Obstetric ultrasound has revolutionized clinical practice by expanding knowledge of fetal growth, physiology, and behavior, and allowing the fetus to emerge as a treatable patient. This dramatic change in clinical practice has not been accompanied by a growth in education or guidelines for the performance of ultrasound studies. This article reviews some of the many professional issues that are still unresolved, such as education, level of care providers, office versus hospital scanning sites, level of ultrasound study, legal issues, obstetrics versus radiology as appropriate specialties to perform sonograms, and implications affecting childbearing women, based on concern for quality care of mothers and babies.