Despite a 2025 TGA ban, home foetal dopplers remain easy to buy online and are still being marketed to anxious expectant parents as ‘safe’ reassurance devices.
Despite repeated warnings by the Therapeutic Goods Administration, buying a foetal doppler in Australia is still as easy as clicking a button.
The TGA banned the sale of home pregnancy monitoring devices in August 2025. The regulator was concerned about reports of expectant parents being falsely reassured by using home-use foetal dopplers and delayed seeking medical attention.
At the time, they advised:
“DO NOT rely on home-use foetal heart monitors to check your baby’s heartbeat. Home-use foetal dopplers used without specialised training to operate these devices could result in false reassurance of the health of a baby.”
However, a simple Google search by HSD shows they can still be found online, some for as little as $40. There were also several secondhand devices on sale on websites like Facebook marketplace and Gumtree.
The websites often promise to “ease your concerns” and can help you sleep at night knowing your baby is okay. They say things like “doctor approved” and “100% safe”.
The Stillbirth Centre of Research Excellence said that, without correct training, “the maternal pulse can be easily misinterpreted as the foetal heartbeat. Even the correct identification of a foetal heartbeat is not a reliable determinant of a baby’s health and well-being”.
The centre recommended other ways of bonding with the baby, including singing or reading aloud, or taking time to slow down and tune into the baby’s movements.
A spokesperson for the TGA told HSD that the regulator collaborates with several digital providers “including e-commerce and social media platforms”, and requests they apply content filters or remove listings that contain specified prohibited keywords or claims.
“When alleged unlawful advertisements come to our attention, we alert the particular platform who typically assesses and takes prompt action in accordance with their user policies,” said the spokesperson.
“We can also use powers under the Telecommunications Act 1997 that require internet service providers to block access to certain websites if they are in breach of the Act.”
Many of the websites appear to be Australian on AU domains with AUD pricing. Some also show verified reviews from Australian buyers.
Some are hard to police, the TGA said.
“Some of the websites that consumers can buy unregistered medicines from are not within the remit of the TGA,” said the spokesperson.
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Another loophole appears to be several websites that advertise dopplers for clinical use, which is the only approved use in Australia.
“These devices are operated by qualified healthcare professionals who are trained to accurately interpret results and respond appropriately,” the TGA spokesperson said.
Although many of the devices online are over $1000, some are as low as $200 and many don’t appear to have restrictions on who can buy from their store.
“As part of our post-market review, we reviewed the labelling and advertising for these devices, which are required to be clearly marked for clinical use. Medical device sponsors are responsible for ensuring that clinical use foetal doppler devices are supplied only to appropriate users, and the TGA is monitoring compliance,” said the TGA spokesperson.
All foetal dopplers that are to be legally supplied in Australia should be included in the Australian Register of Therapeutic Goods. All home-use foetal dopplers have been removed from the ARTG.
The TGA said it would not on individual matters, however outcomes of enforcement and compliance action are published on its website once available.
