Hissa A Moammar, Speaker at Pediatrics Conferences

King Salman Centre for Disability Research, Saudi Arabia

Title : A scoping review of excessive prenatal ultrasonography as a potential risk factor for autism

Abstract:

For the past several decades, abdominal/pelvic prenatal ultrasonography (P-USG) has been the most significant technology used in obstetrics. There has been a tremendous increase in use throughout the world and there have been many improvements in the technology used. However, there are aspects of the technology such as frequency, exposure time, thermal and cavitation exposure indices, and increased acoustic output of the ultrasonic waves that possibly could be harmful to the embryo/fetus. In particular, prolonged exposure may increase susceptibility to Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). Along with the increasing use of P-USG, there has been a similar increase in the incidence of ASD. The diagnosis of ASD has been found to be more common in geographic areas with a more affluent ethnicity, high socioeconomic status, and high parental education. These are also areas where prenatal ultrasonography is readily available and affordable. Given that there are biophysical risks from P-USG, especially in non-medical settings, P-USG may emerge as a possible risk factor for ASD. The past history of radiography provides a historical perspective: the predominant past opinion years ago was that exposure to X-rays during pregnancy caused no significant risk to a fetus. However, the association between X-ray exposure and childhood leukemia was only established 40 years after X-ray use began. This review focuses on the literature which supports the generation of the hypothesis that excessive P-USG usage may be a factor in the etiology of ASD.

Keywords: Autism, Autistic Spectrum Disorder, Children, Behavior, Ultrasonography, Prenatal, Pregnancy

Biography:

Dr. Hissa A. Moammar is a distinguished pediatrician, educator, and researcher with over four decades of clinical and academic experience. She earned her Doctor of Medicine at the American University of Beirut in 1978; completed her Pediatric Residency at Massachusetts General Hospital–Harvard Medical School, and served as a Consultant Pediatrician at SAMSO from 1991 to 2004. She also held key leadership roles during this period, including Chief of Medical Professional Education and Training. At SAMSO, Dr. Moammar initiated several enduring continuing education programs since 2002, such as the First Primary Care Conference, the Harvard Lectures Program, and the Telemedicine Consultation Program.
Her publications include: “Mother Care” (Arabic, 1993), a widely distributed maternal health textbook. “Incidence and Features of Galactosemia in Saudi Arabs” (Journal of Inherited Metabolic Diseases, 1996), “Patterns of Inborn Errors of Metabolism in Saudi Aramco 1983–2008” (Annals of Saudi Medicine, 2010), which contributed to the centralization of Saudi Arabia’s National Newborn Screening Program
From 2006 to 2015, Dr. Moammar joined King Fahd Hospital of the University (KFHU) as a Consultant Pediatrician. She held several administrative roles, including Director of Laboratory Medicine, where she led KFHU to its first College of American Pathologists (CAP) accreditation in 2014.
From 2018 to 2021, Dr. Moammar was affiliated as a pediatric researcher with the King Salman Center for Disability Research, where her work focused on autism spectrum disorders.