Picture perfect
‘4D’ ultrasound and the commoditisation of the private prenatal clinic
Bibliographic Data
| ID | 12698552 |
|---|---|
| Authors | G M Thomas (0000-0003-4959-2337, Cardiff University, corresponding author) |
| Year | 2015 |
| Volume | 17 |
| Issue | 2 |
| Pages | 359-377 |
| Publication date | 2015-08-27 |
| Peer Reviewed | Yes |
| Open Access | Yes |
| Type | ARTICLE |
| Venue | Journal of Consumer Culture (JOURNAL) |
| Journal identifiers | ISSN: 1469-5405 • E-ISSN: 1741-2900 |
| Publisher | SAGE Publishing (PUBLISHER • US) |
| DOI | 10.1177/1469540515602300 |
| OpenAlex | W1863159903 |
| Language | EN |
| Citations received | 5 |
| References cited | 28 |
Non-medical ‘four-dimensional’ ultrasound is commercially advertised as promoting maternal ‘bonding’, providing reassurance and tendering entertaining experiences for expectant parents. Despite the proliferation of this technology, it has not yet been subjected to sufficient social scientific attention. Drawing on an ethnography of a private prenatal clinic in the United Kingdom, I explore how four-dimensional scans, providing detailed real-time images of a foetus, have transformed the prenatal clinic into a site of consumption. I argue that the discourse present in four-dimensional scans and the materiality of the clinic achieve two things. First, they blur the boundary between clinical and non-clinical practices. This must be carefully negotiated by professionals who perform serious emotional labour to balance the delicate tension of offering expertise and medically based reassurance with providing a joyful experience for parents as consumers. Second, the four-dimensional scan and clinic’s materiality promote the notion of ‘perfection’, particularly around the idealised family and future body. I conclude by reflecting on how such non-medical technologies play a central role in the commoditisation of pregnancy, bodies, the family and prenatal care in an increasingly consumer-led market
Aesthetics · Ethnography · Materiality (auditing · Sociology · Body Image and Dysmorphia Studies · Maternal and Perinatal Health Interventions · Medicine · Reproductive Health and Technologies
The World of Goods
Longing and Belonging
Baby's First Picture
The Discovery of Grounded Theory
Baby's First Picture
Introduction
Fetal sex determination and gendered prenatal consumption
On a Trip to the Womb
Motherhood in utero
Biotourist Performances
The Placental Body in 4D
Women as moral pioneers? Experiences of first trimester antenatal screening
Resemblance talk
Cross-Cultural Cyborgs
Cyborg Babies
Prenatal Diagnosis in Postwar Vietnam
Separate, but Less Unequal
Body work in assisted conception
Wakey wakey baby
Conceptualising body work in health and social care
It was a real good show
| Unique citing works | 5 |
|---|---|
| Citations per year | 0,5 |
| Citation span | 2016 - 2025 (10) |
| Citation velocity | recent |
| Highly cited | No |
| Citation types | Neutral: 5 |