RCM advises pregnant women against use of personal dopplers

By RCM advises pregnant women against use of personal dopplers on 23 January 2020 Midwives Safety Maternity Safety Champions RCM RCM Member Safe high quality care MSWs - Maternity Support Workers Pregnancy

The RCM has today restated that it does not recommended use of personal home dopplers while pregnant over safety concerns.

The advice comes as the Medicines & Healthcare products Regulatory Agency (MHRA) have published updated guidance on the use of fetal home dopplers, a hand-held ultrasound device that uses soundwaves to listen to a fetal heartbeat.

Commenting Zeenath Uddin, Head of Quality and Safety at the Royal College of Midwives (RCM), said: “The RCM does not recommend the use of personal doppler machines. We have two key concerns: firstly, that women may be falsely reassured by hearing what they think is their baby’s heartbeat when it is actually their own, and secondly that home dopplers can lead to unnecessary stress for women when they are unable to find a heartbeat using the doppler themselves. We would advise that where a woman is concerned that her baby has been less active than usual or has noticed a change in pattern, she should always call her maternity unit or midwife and they will monitor and assess her babies heartbeat and wellbeing using a CTG monitor’’.

 

ENDS

 

Notes to Editors

Fetal dopplers and updated guidance from MHRA https://www.gov.uk/guidance/medical-devices-information-for-users-and-patients

 

To contact the RCM Media Office call 020 7312 3456, or email media@rcm.org.uk. 

 

The RCM is the only trade union and professional association dedicated to serving midwifery and the whole midwifery team. We provide workplace advice and support, professional and clinical guidance and information