Currently the only occasion for a Pregnancy Resource Center to utilize Doppler ultrasound during the first trimester of pregnancy would be a case in which a mother is considering the option of abortion but might be more inclined to choose life after hearing the sound of the fetal heart. The primary advantage of utilizing Doppler ultrasound is that it can give the abortion-minded woman the ability to hear as well as see her unborn child's heartbeat. While Doppler ultrasound requires higher energy to obtain an audible fetal heartbeat, it has been utilized for decades without any observed adverse effects, although there are theoretical concerns.

The Focus on the Family Physicians Resource Council (PRC) makes the following recommendations regarding the use of Doppler ultrasound during a limited examination during the first trimester of pregnancy:

• The PRC does support the use of limited ultrasound examination with Doppler in Pregnancy Resource Centers for the abortion-minded patient when she has verbalized (and/or the technician has reason to believe) that hearing the heartbeat in addition to seeing the live fetus may help provide information the patient needs. If a patient is not abortion-minded, or if the judgment is made that the sound of the heartbeat will not make a difference in the patient's decision, ultrasound without Doppler may be used if the center decides or believes it is appropriate in the particular situation.
  
  
• Doppler ultrasound should not be offered as a routine test for women receiving care from Pregnancy Resource Centers, in order to ensure that the risk from exposure to ultrasound energy is as low as reasonably possible, especially during the first trimester.
  
  
• The PRC advises the Medical Directors of Pregnancy Resource Centers to develop and implement an appropriate protocol for screening and further handling of each individual patient's situation. This protocol could include criteria that would assist the ultrasound technician (or other Pregnancy Resource Center staff) in identifying those mothers for whom limited ultrasound (including the possible use of Doppler) might increase the likelihood of a decision for life, and those who would not benefit from hearing the heartbeat or seeing a visual tracing of the heartbeat during the ultrasound procedure.
  
  
• The Medical Director and Board of the Pregnancy Resource Center may decide on a policy to obtain a consent for the Doppler and/or ultrasounds, and if so, the study should not be performed until a consent form has been signed by the patient after an appropriate review of benefits and risks.

All Pregnancy Medical Clinics in the Option Ultrasound Program provide limited obstetrical ultrasound as medically indicated. Clinics are licensed to operate under the supervision of a physician, using only trained sonographers. Focus on the Family does not endorse the use of ultrasound outside of a medical clinic setting and does not endorse the use of ultrasound for non-medical reasons. Patient referrals are made to physicians for follow-up diagnosis and care as needed.