Ultrasound as a technology of reassurance?: how pregnant women and health care professionals articulate ultrasound reassurance and its limitations

Thomas, Gareth M.; Roberts, Julie; Griffiths, Frances E.

Abstract

The premise that ultrasound technologies provide reassurance for pregnant women is well-rehearsed. However, there has been little research about how this reassurance is articulated and understood by both expectant mothers and health care professionals. In this article, we draw on two qualitative UK studies to explore the salience of ultrasound reassurance to women's pregnancy experiences whilst highlighting issues around articulation and silence. Specifically, we capture how expectant parents express a general need for reassurance and how visualisation and the conduct of professionals have a crucial role to play in accomplishing a sense of reassurance. We also explore how professionals have ambiguities about the relationship between ultrasound and reassurance, and how they subsequently articulate reassurance to expectant mothers. By bringing two studies together, we take a broad perspectival view of how gaps and silences within the discourse of ultrasound reassurance leave the claims made for ultrasound as a technology of reassurance unchallenged. Finally, we explore the implications this can have for women's experiences of pregnancy and health care professionals’ practices.

Citation

Thomas, G. M., Roberts, J., & Griffiths, F. E. (in press). Ultrasound as a technology of reassurance?: how pregnant women and health care professionals articulate ultrasound reassurance and its limitations. Sociology of Health and Illness, https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12554

• Journal Article Type: Article
• Acceptance Date: Dec 19, 2016
• Online Publication Date: Mar 22, 2017
• Deposit Date: Mar 29, 2017
• Publicly Available Date: Mar 23, 2019
• Journal: Sociology of Health and Illness
• Print ISSN: 0141-9889
• Electronic ISSN: 1467-9566
• Publisher: Wiley
• Peer Reviewed: Peer Reviewed
• DOI: https://doi.org/10.1111/1467-9566.12554
• Keywords: Patient-professional interaction; Pregnancy; Prenatal care; Reassurance; Risk; Ultrasound
• Public URL: https://nottingham-repository.worktribe.com/output/851951
• Publisher URL: http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-9566.12554/full
• Additional Information: This is the peer reviewed version of the following article: Thomas, G. M., Roberts, J. and Griffiths, F. E. (2017), Ultrasound as a technology of reassurance? How pregnant women and health care professionals articulate ultrasound reassurance and its limitations. Sociol Health Illn. , which has been published in final form at http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1111/1467-9566.12554/full. This article may be used for non-commercial purposes in accordance with Wiley Terms and Conditions for Self-Archiving.