For just under $ 200 mothers can now get 3-D 'keepsake ultrasounds ' of their unborn children but the FDA warns that they should avoid the potentially harmful scans . A Consumer Update revised by the FDA on Tuesday said that the tests should be used for medical reasons only and only be performed by licensed staff . Ultrasounds are used to help doctors determine the health , size , and age of the child and can detect birth defects . Scroll down for video . New trend : While 3-D images of a mother 's unborn child may bring her delight it may also harm the baby . While there is no proof that ultrasounds are harmful to the baby , it heats the baby 's tissues slightly and can also cause small bubbles in tissue . 'Although there is a lack of evidence of any harm due to ultrasound imaging and heartbeat monitors , prudent use of these devices by trained health care providers is important , ' says Shahram Vaezy , Ph.D. , an FDA biomedical engineer in the update . 'Ultrasound can heat tissues slightly , and in some cases , it can also produce very small bubbles ( cavitation ) in some tissues , ' she adds . Doctors do n't yet know the long term effects of these scans on the child and fear that non-medical imaging centers aimed at giving mothers photos and videos for sentimental reasons do not take the baby 's health into consideration . The FDA says that at such places the fetus could be exposed to up to an hour of ultrasound technology which is longer than most doctors spend . Mothers are seeking out the unnecessary medical to get renderings of their child so they can share them on social media or feel an emotional connection to their child . CBS spoke with Donquesha Williams , 26 , who had an ultrasound done at Meet Your Baby in the Lakewood Center Mall in Southern California . 'These are going to go in my photo album . I get to actually see him ... so I 'm excited and everything , ' Williams said . 'We use the same machine as the doctor , ' owner Michael Horan said . 'Our techs spend a little more time to get a more enjoyable session out of it . ' Popular imaging : Evelyn Orozco ( pictured ) who owns 3-D Imaging Services in New York City said that 3-D ultrasounds are one of her biggest sellers but says she is not a doctor and can not give medical advice . Mother Felicia said that while she enjoyed seeing a 2-D image of her child during a medical ultrasound , she was overcome with emotion when she saw the 3-D image . ' I felt emotionally connected in the 2-D , but I almost cried here , ' she said . Evelyn Orozco who owns 3-D Imaging Services in New York City said that 3-D ultrasounds are one of her biggest sellers . 'All of a sudden , it 's not a black and white : you see the features , you see a baby 's face and the biggest thing here is the nose , ' Orozco said . 'Everybody talks about the nose . `` Whose nose is that ? Is it daddy 's nose ? Is it mommy 's nose ? '' ' Orozco says that she requires all the expectant mothers who come to her to be under the care of an OBGYN . 'Again , I 'm not a doctor . The biggest thing I tell everybody is just make sure you drink plenty of water ‘ , she said . She says that while patients ask her advice on images sometimes she is sure not to overstep her boundaries . The state of Connecticut has already banned prenatal ultrasounds for non-medical use .
A Consumer Update revised by the FDA on Tuesday said that ultrasounds should be performed for medical reasons only and by licensed staff . While there is no proof that ultrasounds are harmful to the baby , it heats the baby 's tissues slightly and can also cause small bubbles in tissue . The agency says this does not mean a doctor has done anything wrong or that they have any responsibility if something goes awry with an ultrasound scan.