Is Home Fetal Doppler Use Okay in Pregnancy?

Question: Is home fetal doppler use okay in pregnancy?

A fetal doppler is a hand-held, ultrasound device used by some practitioners to hear your baby's heartbeat at prenatal appointments. (Other devices can also be used to hear your baby's heartbeat.)

Answer: Fetal dopplers are approved for use as a medical device. Recently, the question of home fetal doppler use has come up. There are many places that rent fetal dopplers for use by individuals.

Women who use a fetal doppler at home say that they wish to monitor their baby's well-being and to reassure themselves that the baby is alive. This can be particularly desirable in the early weeks before the baby's kicks can be felt. Mothers who have experienced previous miscarriage or stillbirth may also be drawn to the perceived reassurance that a fetal doppler could provide.

While there is not believed to be any harm with occasional use by a medical professional, home fetal doppler use does not fall into this category. Many families use the doppler for much longer periods than they may experience with their practitioner and for more frequent uses — think once a day versus once a month at a prenatal visit.

There are three common risks to home fetal doppler use:

• Not hearing the baby's heartbeat, even though the baby is fine, thus causing more worry.
• Misinterpreting the fetal heart rate.
• Hearing baby's heartbeat and assuming the baby is fine, when other signs, like decreased fetal movement, truly need to be reported. In this case, it's a false sense of security.

The Food and Drug Administration (FDA) opposes home fetal doppler use, even when prescribed by an online physician.