How Do Waves Affect Our Lives

By

Miha Alam

 What is ultrasound: Ultrasound is an advance technology in which a very high frequency (above 20, 000 hertz which is beyond an average human’s hearing range) sound waves are mainly used for diagnostic purposes in medicine. Ultrasound is used to get clear views of “hard to reach” parts of the body. The waves are so thin that they are able to penetrate in to the matter to a large extent.  In the medical field, ultrasound is used to investigate the internal organs of the human body such as liver, gall bladder, pancreas, kidneys, uterus, heart etc. It is also used to break down the kidney stones into small fine grains. Most commonly it is being used to monitor the growth of the foetus in the womb of the mother and to detect birth defects in the fetus.

How is ultrasound used to monitor the growth of the foetus?

An ultrasound scanner is used to study the growth of the baby inside the mother’s womb. The ultrasound scanner has various components like- a computer, video display screen and a transducer. The transducer sends the sound waves and also records the echoing waves. It is the transducer which is pressed against the skin and sends high frequency sound waves in to the body.

 The ultrasound waves penetrate into the human body organ and get reflected by the organ which is going to be examined. The sensitive microphone in the transducer records the small changes in the sound’s pitch and direction. Then those reflected ultrasound waves are fed into the computer and a clear image of the unborn fetus appears. The 3D image of the fetus helps the doctor detect any ailment or defect and helps monitor the growth of the fetus. 

Ultrasound technology has been a very effective tool in detecting early birth defects but this practice has lead to the increase in the incidence of female infanticide around the world which has far reaching consequences. This is the use of ultrasound to detect the gender of the foetus. If the foetus is a female child, then the foetus is sometimes aborted. This practice is prevalent in countries like India, China, Taiwan, South-Korea, Afghanistan, Pakistan, and some of the North African countries. Another term for killing the female foetus is- female infanticide. The killing of female fetuses has disturbed the gender ratio. The ultrasound screening of pregnant women ensure the birth of healthy baby but this practice has been misused to do the selective abortion of female fetus.

Due to social, religious, cultural and economic reasons, male child is preferred over the female child in some parts of the world. This has disturbed the gender ratio. There are more males than the females in the world. The normal ratio is supposed to be 106 men to a 100 women.  In the year 1995, the male: female gender ratio in India was 110:100. Same year, in Korea it was 114 males: 100 females. In 1997, China, reported the gender ratio (man to female) 117: 100. In India, in 2001, there was a bit of improvement and the number came down to 107.8 males to a 100 females. (Refer to the table; the disturbed gender ratio)  In 2008, UNICEF reported that forty three million women would have been born in the world, if weren’t aborted.  It is estimated that by 2020 there could be more than 35 million young surplus males in China and 25 million in India, if the present rate of female infanticide will continue. Together China and India comprise one third of the world’s population, so one can imagine the proportion to which this problem exist.

 Many Indians specially the poor don’t prefer females because at the time of marriage, the parents have to give Dowry (dowry is the money, gold, clothes etc given to their son in laws’ family). In Hindu communities, males are preferred over the females because the Hindu religious rituals have to be performed by the male at the time of the father’s death.  In China in order to control population, the government regulation restricts one child per family.

The disturbed gender ratio will lead to increase in the crime against women in general. There will be kidnappings, selling and buying of women in the ‘bride market’. The men will not be able to marry and produce children. This will affect the population of an area and the whole human evolution.  

A) Make laws for the ultrasonologists In India, telling the gender of the baby is banned. The ultrasonologists cannot tell the parents the gender of their baby unless there are complications or the mother’s / foetus’s life is in danger. If an ultrasonologist is found to break the rule, strict action is taken which could be banning him from medical practice.

 B) Strict punishment for couples who abort the female babies. If a couple is found aborting their female baby without complication or risks then those couples will be punished strictly.

C) Educate people about female rights. People should be educated about female rights and equality between men and women.

D) Parental counseling about the girl child

E) Campaign against the misuse of ultrasound technology      

Ultrasound technology is an excellent tool to monitor the growth of the fetus. It has been used very successfully to detect the birth defect which has helped to decrease the child mortality. It has also helped to monitor the health of the expectant mother. However, its misuse has lead to the selective killing of girl child/fetus which has disturbed the gender ratio in some parts of the world. It is important to use any technology wisely including the ultrasound.