This time it's the medical community that actor Tom Cruise stirred up. Cruise set it on its heels recently when he proudly announced he had purchased state-of-the-art ultrasound equipment to monitor his and fiancée Kate Holmes's unborn child. The flamboyant actor thought nothing of it, and told reporters he would donate the equipment once their baby was born. The medical community, however, isn't taking it lightly.

The Cruise-Holmes ultrasound story re-ignited a national debate over the potential risk of "keepsake" ultrasounds—essentially home videos of an unborn baby. Since 1994, the FDA has taken a strong stand against what it calls "ultrasounds for entertainment," due to possible risks of a lengthy photo shoot. The primary concern: the fetus's exposure to the "jarring vibrations and rise in temperature" associated with the ultrasound procedure.

Lennard D. Greenbaum, MD, president of the American Institute of Ultrasound Medicine (AIUM), says the safety data collected on medical ultrasound procedures are based on standard examinations, not a 20- or 30-minute keepsake session. "We do not know if there are any biological effects. But if there's no medical information to be gained, why take the risk?" says Greenbaum, who is co-director of The Hughes Center for Fetal Diagnostics at Arnold Palmer Hospital in Orlando. He has been in practice for 36 years, and knows the new technology delivers exciting visual results. But "under-trained technicians at the controls of a medical device [is] inappropriate" because it borders on the practice of medicine, he says.

Rachel Humphrey, MD, a maternal fetal medicine specialist, has three patients who were given inaccurate information from a keepsake ultrasound photo session. "[The patients] really think everything is OK, but in reality," she says, "they're not having [the images] reviewed by anyone with any kind of training. And that is really the danger."

The debate hasn't stopped 3D ultrasound-franchise frenzy, however. United Imaging Partners has already placed seven studios in Florida, including Prenatal Impressions of Orlando. Prenatal Impressions' Web site offers a "full 30-minute session" and "gender determination." According to a company spokesman, "the safety and comfort of all of our client's is our number-one priority."

Dwan Wright, a sonographer with 17 years' experience, opened Central Florida's first ultrasound portrait studio last year. She's concerned that technicians in white coats operating high-tech machines give customers a false sense of security. "I think there's a huge deception here," she says. "My fear is that these places are going to be popping up on every corner."

Bébé's Début, Wright's shop in College Park, has attracted more than 500 mothers-to-be. The studio is a comfortable family-room setting with sofas, baby music, and a massive flatscreen TV. Ultrasound "photo sessions" typically cost $150-$200. Despite the price, the ooh's and ahh's from parents viewing the 3D scans explain these studios' popularity.

Florida has no legislation regarding keepsake ultrasounds, but Wright has her own operating standards. She will not perform the procedure unless the expectant mother is at least 27 weeks along. And she requires proof that the mother is under a doctor's care.

But is that enough? The uncertainty about potential harm to the unborn baby has prompted several states including California, New York and Texas to investigate keepsake-ultrasound shops. Texas now requires written prescriptions, and doctors' supervision of studio technicians.

The WKMG report on keepsake ultrasounds has prompted local and national lawmakers to take a closer look at Florida's keepsake shops. Rep. Ric Keller (R-FL) will be working with the FDA to determine if there are potential risks to the unborn baby. Right now, though, there is no medical evidence showing that keepsake ultrasounds are harmful. Nonetheless, the FDA maintains its position that they shouldn't be performed if they're not medically necessary.

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Mike Holfeld is a reporter for WKMG Local 6 News, and a regular contributor to Seminole magazine.