Learn about UV Exposure and Ultrasound

Host: Ultraviolet radiation, it’s essential for healthy development of muscles and bones and a happy mental state, but too much can have fatal ramifications.

In some places in the world such as Australia, a mere 15 minutes spent in the sun on a summer’s day can result in a nasty burn. Unfortunately, that damage will be recorded on a cellular level and may come back to gold you years down the track. Skin cancer statistics are on the rise. Each year, two to three million people are diagnosed worldwide, 66,000 people die.

Dr. Catherine Harwood: We also have found that around a third of young people aged 15 to 24 are planning to go on holiday this year and spend really party long in the sun more than five hours a day. We also found that people are planning to get burned that if they hadn’t got a good enough tan by the end of their holiday, then they would feel fine about burning or not using proper sun protection. And that’s really concerning because rates of skin cancer are rising in the UK.

Host: Melanoma is the deadliest skin cancer of all. Keep an eye on the color and texture of any moles on your body. If you note any changes of itchiness, contact a doctor immediately. If you are a particularly mole person, have your moles scanned and napped and kept on record at a mole clinic.

Dr. Catherine Harwood: We all need a bit of sunshine in our lives but it is important to remember, don’t get burned. That’s the single most important thing. So, maybe try and stay out of the sun when it’s really hot right in the middle of the day. Put on a t-shirt, maybe the hat, sunglasses, and use packed 15 sun cream. That’s the key thing.

Host: UV exposure can also lead to premature aging and wrinkles, eye diseases such as macular degeneration, cataracts and snow blindness and other skin conditions like solar keratosis where the skin starts overproducing keratin in order to toughen out to protect itself.

Be sure to slather yourself in 30 plus sunscreen. Wear a t-shirt and remember to sunbathe only in the early morning and later afternoon some when the UV index is below three. And remember once you turned pink, the damage is being done.

What’s life like for a baby inside the womb? Ultrasound can give us key insight into this secluded little paradise. Ultrasounds are essential for keeping tabs on baby’s health in utero. Grainy black and white 2D ultrasounds are still used by doctors while the fetus is under 16 weeks to determine the due date, measure the risk of Down Syndrome and make sure baby is growing in the uterus rather than in ovary.

At about week 20 however, things get a little more interesting. 3D and 4D ultrasounds are safe to use by now. You can literally see the features of your growing baby in 3D. 4D just means that the images are moving since time is the fourth dimension. No test taken of the mother’s uterine health is the sufficient amniotic fluid. Where is the placenta located? Records have kept of how well babies heart, brain, skull, bones and other organs are developing. Abnormalities can be pinpointed with accuracy.

Professor Stuart Campbell: Nearly 3d will help you with the abnormalities of the face, the clef lip, the cleft palate, low set ears, and abnormalities of the spine, spina bifida for example. So in this regard, 3D does enhance the information you’ll get at 2D.

Host: The final ultrasound will be scheduled in your baby’s 34th week to check that they are meeting growth percentiles and to see if the placenta is positioned for an uncomplicated birth.

Some experts have reservations about using ultrasounds on fetuses unnecessarily. So, it’s recommended to stick to the prescribed ultrasounds only and not to worry anymore for entertainment value if you didn’t like the way the first video turned out.

Millions of unborn babies have been checked over via ultrasound since it was first introduced to obstetrics in 1966.