Pregnancy Scans
An ultrasound scan uses sound waves bounced back and forth to create a basic black-and-white image of your baby growing in the womb. Neither mom nor baby will be harmed during this simple treatment.
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Everything You Need To Know About Pregnancy Scans
What are Pregnancy Scans or Ultrasounds?
When you have an ultrasound done, sound waves go through your uterus. These high-frequency sound waves pass through your baby’s skin undetected, but they return to you as echoes.
Using a computer, the echoes are converted to pictures that show your baby’s form, location, and motions.
The largest echoes are produced when sound waves bounce off hard tissues like bone. In the picture, hard tissues are shown as being white, while soft tissues are shown as being grey. Amniotic fluid, which surrounds your baby throughout pregnancy, appears black to the naked eye. This is because no echoes are created when sound waves pass through them.
Are Pregnancy Ultrasounds Safe?
Ultrasound has long been used to view the growing fetus. They help doctors determine whether your pregnancy is progressing normally. If this is the circumstance, doctors will be able to detect and cure any abnormalities. The ultrasound has been regular for decades, so you don’t need to worry about it being safe while pregnant. Your kid and you should be safe as long as the sonographer is skilled in the procedure.
Purpose of Ultrasounds
As your pregnancy progresses, the results of your scans may provide the following information:
- Make sure the heartbeat of your infant is audible.
- If you’re expecting more than one child, say whether you’re expecting twins or a singleton.
- Find out whether you’re pregnant ectopically, which means the embryo has been implanted somewhere other than your uterus.
- Check to see whether you’re pregnant with a molar, a condition in which the placenta is malformed and there is generally no viable child.
- Discover what’s causing any bleeding you’re having.
- Determine the exact date of your pregnancy by taking the exact weight and length measurements of your baby.
- Measure the amount of fluid in the back of your baby’s neck to check for signs of Down syndrome (nuchal translucency scan).
- Find out what went wrong with a blood screening test.
- Make diagnostic procedures like chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis safer by indicating the baby’s and placenta’s whereabouts throughout the pregnancy.
- Make sure all of your baby’s organs are growing properly by giving him a thorough physical examination.
- Determine whether or not a child has a congenital disorder like spina bifida.
- Analyze your amniotic fluid level and locate the placenta.
- Take a series of scans to track your baby’s development.
- Take a look at the blood flow from your placenta to your kid.
- Examine the placenta for signs of aging or calcification.
- Examine the cervix’s opening and length.
- Analyze the appearance of a scar from a prior cesarean section.
- Make sure the umbilical cord is still attached.
Types of Ultrasounds
These are the most common kinds of prenatal ultrasounds.
Standard Ultrasound
This is the most common way to interpret an ultrasound. To get 2D pictures of the infant, a sonographer will press a wand-shaped transducer on the baby’s tummy. It enables your obstetrician doctor to keep track of your baby’s growth and development milestones, identify anomalies, and observe where your placenta is located throughout pregnancy.
Dynamic 3-D Ultrasound (4D ultrasound)
A 4D ultrasound scan is what most people are familiar with, and it works similarly to a 3D ultrasound scan. Parents, on the other hand, will be able to view their baby’s movement on the screen. It’s possible that a 3-D ultrasound, with its crisper and clearer pictures, may help your doctor discover any problems your baby has as it develops.
Fetal Echocardiography
Doctors can view more of the unborn child’s heart anatomy and function with the aid of an ultrasound reading like this one. Usually used to check for any problems with the heart’s structure or development. This test is carried out between weeks 18 and 24 of the second trimester. Not all pregnant women should get a fetal echocardiogram. Most of them will be able to see their baby’s heart’s progress in all four chambers with only a simple ultrasound. To find out whether there are any cardiac problems, doctors utilize this high-tech ultrasound scan.
3D Ultrasound
Advanced computer software and a special transducer are used to provide a more comprehensive and accurate image of the infant. If a problem is discovered during a routine ultrasound, the very detailed pictures may be useful. When this occurs, being able to see your baby’s internal organs and their breadth, height, and depth may assist with the diagnosis. You should get a 3D or 4D scan between 26 and 30 weeks of pregnancy if you want the best results. The bones in your baby’s face will be visible if you deliver her before 26 weeks since she has very little fat beneath her skin.
Conclusion
An ultrasound scan is risk-free. They may be used for medical or non-medical reasons, although medical guidelines advise avoiding using ultrasound until necessary. It varies depending on the results of your initial tests and scans.
Want to book a private ultrasound scan? Contact us to learn more about our pregnancy packages or to book an appointment with one of our experienced sonographers.