4D
Baby Ultrasound
Scans - Does
the scanning present any risk to the baby?
The
many research studies and reports over the years have not reported
untoward effects of ultrasound on the baby or mother, even when
week by week ultrasound of the baby have been performed. 4D and
3D ultrasound is no different to conventional 2D scanning except
in this case, the images are collected by the ultrasound machine,
processed in its computer memory to give a 3-dimentional image.
Therefore, safety and risk are not affected in any known way.
What
do I get after a 3D or 4D scan?
You
get a 4D dvd ultrasound
movie, a CD of still baby photos. The ultrasound movie you
take home gives you and your family endless pleasure.
Cervical
Assessment Scans- When
and why is cervical ultrasound scan performed?
Cervical
scans are useful in women who have had miscarriages, usually painlessly,
after 14 weeks. The obstetrician will want to be sure there is
enough evidence of cervical weakness before inserting a cervical
stitch to prevent premature labour or cervical incompetence.
How
is the cervical ultrasound assessment done?
The
scan is best done vaginally, which provides the best image to
consistently provide a accurate measurement of cervical length.
The scan can be perfomed week by week up to a time you are confident
there is no risk of miscarriage.
Determining
Gender of Baby - When
can I ask to have a baby ultrasound if I want to know my baby's
gender?
Baby
ultrasound scan after 20 weeks is highly reliable in identifying
baby's sex. It is not always accurate and depends on the baby's
position in the womb.
Down
Syndrome Testing - When
is the best time to have Nuchal Ultrasound
Scan and Blood Test?
Nuchal
baby scan is performed between 11 weeks to 13 weeks and 6 days.
Outside these limits the scan is not as reliable.
Do
I have to be very old to have the Nuchal test for screening Down's
syndrome?
No.
You can have the test at any age. You may want to have the nuchal
test because of a family history or just because you want to be
sure all is well with your pregnancy,
Fetal
Anomaly Ultrasound Scan - When
should I book to have the fetal anomaly scan?
Most
obstetricians agree that the best times to a baby scan for anomaly
screening is about 20 weeks. Spine can be seen at earlier stages
but internal organs especially the heart is best examined after
20 weeks. The dilemma is that at later stages in third trimester
the options are reduced.
When
is viability Ultrasound Scan performed?
Pregnancy
ultrasound to check whether all is well is usually requested in
the first 12 weeks, often afte some vaginal bleeding or abdominal
pain. In some women who have a history of miscarriages, a viability
pregnancy scan can be very reassuring and this early scan can
identify the number of embryos.
When
is the Reassurance
Mother and Baby Ultrasound
scan done?
Reassurance
pregnancy and baby scans are performed anytime in pregnancy when
there is a reason to seek reassurance. This may follow a less
than perfect history, miscarriages, small babies or medical problems
such as diabetes and pre-eclampsia.
How
reassuring can these scans be?
The
value of such pregnancy and baby scans depends on the cause for
worry. In most cases on scan can be enough if all what was wanted
is check normality of the baby. In some cases week by week ultrasound
scans may be necessary especially when problems such as hypertension
and poor baby growth have been identified.
