Womb with a view

Just as some families can't stand the wait to see what's inside a wrapped holiday present, others can't wait to see the face of a new baby.

Families impatient to begin bonding with a new child are fueling the growth of non-medical ultrasound clinics that provide a sneak peak, along with a photos and a DVD video recording, of babies in their mothers' womb.

Three centers in Reno, two of them associated with diagnostic imaging centers operated by physicians, see a steady stream of mothers, often accompanied by family members, who want an early look at the still-developing baby.

Each of the centers revolves around a high-quality ultrasound scanner capable of capturing facial features and the movement of an unborn child.

The scanners don't come cheap the GE technology commonly used in centers around the country runs $70,000 or more and some of the ultrasound photo studios came into existence as physicians who bought scanners for diagnostic purposes looked for ways to build volume.

Dr. Cathy Jo Cantrell, a maternal-fetal medicine specialist, pioneered the business in northern Nevada when she began offering non-medical scans at Caughlin Ranch Fetal Imaging Center in late 2002. The non-medical scans operate as a separate business, 3-D Baby Pix, although sonographic specialists use the same equipment for medical and non-medical scanning.

"We're very busy with it," says Manager Tina Walsh.

Earlier this year, Reno OpenAir MRI and Diagnostic Imaging Center in the Damonte Ranch neighborhood became the second medical office to launch an elective ultrasound business, 3D Keepsake Imaging.

Both clinics emphasize that the elective scans aren't intended to be medical examinations, although they also note that the training of employees enables them to spot conditions that might be brought to the attention of an obstetrician.

Another business model one that is common elsewhere in the United States has been developed by Wendy Kirkpatrick, the owner of Early Look Ultrasound in South Meadows.

Kirkpatrick isn't medically trained. Instead, she launched the small business two years ago with the support of United Imaging Partners, an Austin, Texas, company that provides turnkey ultrasound businesses, including training.

The business has grown steadily, but not as quickly as Kirkpatrick had hoped.

"I've done OK, but I could be busier," she says. "It goes real hot and cold."

Most families who want an early look at their child manage to wait until somewhere around the 22nd to 24th week of pregnancy, when images of the child become recognizable.

"Helping parents see their baby for the first time is the most amazing experience," says Danae Beck, the sonographer at 3D Keepsake Imaging. "In essence, we're actually introducing parents to their babies and giving them an additional way to bond long before the birthing process."

After a 30-minute ultrasound session, 3D Keepsake Imaging provides parents with a DVD recording that shows the baby's movement in the womb along with still photos. The cost is $210.

At 3-D Baby pix, a package that includes a 15-minute session to determine the baby's gender after 17 weeks and a full 30-minute scan a couple of months later is priced at $295.

Parents think the price is well worth it.

"I was completely floored," says Andrea Nicholas, a customer of 3D Keepsake Imaging. "I could completely tell she had her daddy's mouth and facial shape. When she was born, it was amazing to see this little face that I had already seen a few months earlier."

Kirkpatrick says some families are especially eager to learn a baby's gender because paint purchases and decorating schemes in the nursery hang in the balance.

And in some cases, she says the experience of sitting on a couch and watching a full-motion ultrasound of an unborn child works wonders in helping fathers to bond with an infant.

Marketing the services remains fairly low key.

All three clinics in Reno rely largely on word-of-mouth among expectant mothers, brochures placed in obstetricians' offices and Internet searches to generate inquiries.

And interest in growing, says Walsh at 3-D Baby Pix, as more mothers learn about the photographs through media coverage and Internet advertising.