Are ultrasounds considered a type of x-ray?

Question

I think I know the answer, but I got in a debate with an older lady I know last night. I told her that ultrsound is sound waves...sort of what a bat uses. She insists that only x-rays can see through skin and bones. and that having ultrasounds is harmful to the developing baby. ANy insight would be helpful.

Answer 1

Ultrasounds are just sound waves of a frequency above what humans can hear, a bit like sonar imaging. Sound waves can travel through solid objects, even though they are absorbed to a certain degree. That's why ultrasound scans tend to be blurry. Because they are sound waves, they are not harmful by themselves, like X-rays would be. X-rays are electromagnetic waves. They can also penetrate skin, but not bones due to their higher density. X-rays are harmful in large doses.

I'm not aware of any danger associated with ultrasound scans.

Answer 2

Ultrasound does not use ionizing radiation, which is what x-rays are.  So ultrasound is not dangerous to the fetus the way x-rays are.  Ultrasounds are considered an imaging test but does not use ionizing radiation.  MRI also do not use ionizing radiation, instead it uses a magnetic field.  

Answer 3

No radiation involved.   I have not kept up with the literature on it, but at one time there was a question re the effect of repeated ultrasounds on the baby's hearing.  Don't know if that has been resolved or not.