More than a dozen women in the Greater Toronto Area are claiming they were given apparently identical 3D images after their ultrasound sessions at a Pickering, Ont. prenatal imaging clinic. The clinic in question, meanwhile, says it suspects a computer virus is behind the replica images.
The allegedly identical images came to light after one woman posted a picture from her 3D ultrasound to a Facebook group for expectant mothers, and asked others to post theirs too.
Shortly after Jenn Cusimano of Oshawa, Ont. posted the 3D ultrasound image she was given following her May 3 appointment at BabyView Prenatal Imaging, another mother-to-be posted what appears to be the exact same photo. Except hers had supposedly been taken on April 9.
Adeel Mir said his wife, Moshina Adeelmir, has owned and operated BabyView Prenatal Imaging for the past six months and he takes care of IT issues at the clinic.
Mir said his wife worked as a doctor in Pakistan and is a licensed sonographer in Ontario.
Adeelmir's biography was listed on the BabyView website on Wednesday morning, but the 'About Us' page on the site has since been removed.
Mir is attributing the replica images to a computer glitch caused by what he suspects is a virus.
"We have specific folders for every client. So we keep those images in those folders to get the print-out," Mir told CTVNews.ca. "Due to some virus, those images were not going into those specific folders, which were created for those clients."
He said he believes certain images were being replicated in the clinic's computer systems because of a virus.
"To be honest we still don't know what happened," he said, noting that he only learned of the replica photos Wednesday morning.
Mir also noted that it's "challenging" for sonographers to immediately notice that the images of the baby taken during the ultrasound do not match the printed photo.
He noted that, at 22 weeks gestation and younger, "the features of a baby are 99.9 per cent similar."
Mir said, in the future, the clinic will exercise greater "due diligence" to ensure clients are getting the correct images from ultrasounds.
He also said the clinic is offering clients who have received incorrect images a free session or a refund on their images.
"I apologize on behalf of BabyView," Mir said. "We are sorry. Whatever occurred, this was not intentional. It wasn't our intention. We feel sorry for those parents who didn't get the proper service. We're sorry for that."

Mom describes 'disappointment' and 'anxiety' over images
Multiple women have sent CTVNews.ca what appears to be the same ultrasound image that they received from the clinic after their appointment along with invoices from the sessions.  
Cusimano said she called the clinic on Tuesday and was told she could return for more images, free of charge.
She initially paid $160 for the session – money that she borrowed from her mother and later paid back. 
"I've pretty much had no sleep, I've been up all night shaking," Cusimano said. "The anxiety, the stress, the disappointment. I can't even begin to imagine how someone could do this or even think they could get away with it, in this day and age."


Babyview stock photo

Two women have emailed CTVNews.ca photos from their 3D ultrasound that appear to be the identical images that are being used on the BabyView 3D Prenatal Imaging website. The photos in question are the first two pictures used in the composite image on the left.
Cusimano said she never saw a clear image of the baby during the ultrasound. She was told to wait in a waiting room, and about five minutes later the sonographer emerged with a photo that she believed was of her son.
“Her exact words were, ‘I just cleaned it up a little bit’,” Cusimano said.
She said at the time, she thought the sonographer had removed some of the blurriness from the image.
“But I thought it was weird,” she added.
Cusimano was told by the sonographer at the BabyView clinic that there was a 90-95 per cent chance her baby was a boy.
She said she plans on going to another 3D ultrasound clinic to confirm the baby's gender and receive new photos.
She said she's received offers from other clinics for a free or discounted session.
"I hope no one else has to go through what we all have went through," Cusimano said. "What if, God forbid, you lose your baby and that's the only picture you have."