More accurate dating leads to fewer inductions in routinely scanned groups. Some voters in this poll may not have distinguished between the 20 week anatomic ultrasound and a first trimester ultrasound. In most cases, the two exams are done for different purposes. Those concerns then can be addressed early in the pregnancy to help decrease potential problems. The hundreds of thousands of dollars that could have been saved in NICU care just by doing one test.
Opponents have less faith in ultrasound results and their usefulness for improving outcomes.
According to the Cochrane Review, the detection of fetal malformation by routine ultrasound has been addressed in detail in only two trials. The Helsinki trial showed improved detection with a resultant increase in terminations, and therefore, a reported drop in infant mortality. However, there were large differences in detection rates between the two hospitals involved in the study. This points to variable technicians' skills. This emphasizes again that unsatisfactory skills can lead to false negatives, as well as false positives.