Thanks to Tom Cruise a legislation has been introduced to ban the sale of ultrasound machines to anyone but licensed medical professionals.

Last year, Tom Cruise announced he had purchased a $200,000 ultrasound machine to keep track on progress of Katie Holmes' pregnancy.

Tom Cruise commented publicly that he bought ultrasound equipment and performed exams on his fiance Katie Holmes, who recently gave birth to the couple's first child.

Assemblyman Ted Lieu believes Tom Cruise has gone too far and wants to prevent unqualified people from buying the machines for personal use.

"If someone sees Tom Cruise buy one, they think this is the thing to do," Lieu explains.

 

Californian legislators fear that Tom Cruise's hardcore fans might buy the ultrasound machines, which doctors say could even harm the baby if used improperly.

US Food and Drug Administration (FDA) confirms that fetal ultrasound is to be performed only for medical purposes, by certified technologists, with a prescription from an appropriately licensed provider.

Ultrasound is generally considered safe when used by properly trained providers for medical purposes. Physicians routinely use ultrasound imaging to check the size, location, number, or age of fetuses in the womb; the presence of some types of birth defects; fetal movement; breathing; and heartbeat.

However, ultrasound should not be considered completely innocuous. Laboratory studies have shown that diagnostic levels of ultrasound can produce physical effects in tissue, such as mechanical vibrations and rise in temperature, particularly when used for a prolonged period of time. 

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