Prenatal Ultrasound Imaging

What is Prenatal Ultrasound Imaging?

Prenatal ultrasound imaging is the use of ultrasound scans during pregnancy. This facility was introduced in the late 1950s and since then this has been a very vital diagnostic tool in Obstetrics. It has been estimated that nearly 70% of the women in the United States have the prenatal ultrasound exams during their pregnancy. Ultrasound is also routinely used at 16 weeks to date the pregnancy from then on, to check the development of the fetus.

Other than the fact that ultrasound is very important to check the growth and development of fetus, it also gives the opportunity to the parents to view their babies before they are born. The sensation that the parents would feel when they get the first glimpse of their fetal babies brings a fascinating reality and probably adds a new dimension to the parental experience of pregnancy and childbirth.

If you visit a health care center then there are many types of ultrasound imaging available which the doctor will choose from depending on the stage of your pregnancy and the reason for conducting the ultrasound:

• Standard Ultrasound
• Advanced Ultrasound
• Transvaginal Ultrasound
• Doppler Imaging
• Fetal Echocardiography
• 3D Prenatal Ultrasound
• 4D Prenatal Ultrasound

The ultrasound is a painless examination that takes approximately 15 to 20 minutes. The pregnant woman has to lie on her back and a jet like substance is applied on her belly to help improve the contact between the ultrasound transducer and the skin. The woman is also asked to have her bladder full during the examination as it helps improve the clarity of the image. The transducer passes inaudible high frequency waves into the body which is reflected back at different strengths and by both the anatomic features of both the mother and the fetus. The same transducer also receives the reflected sound which are reconstructed by a computer.

Benefits of Prenatal Ultrasound Imaging

• First and foremost, the ultrasound imaging helps in determining the age of the pregnancy and the due date.
• It also helps in determining if the uterus if growing at the right speed and if not, ultrasound imaging can also help pinpoint the issue that is causing the irregular growth of the uterus.
• Ultrasound imaging helps in examining the development of the baby along with other functions like breathing, heartbeat, excretion and the body movement.
• The quantity of the amniotic fluid during the later stages of pregnancy is measured using ultrasound imaging.
• Imaging of the limbs and spinal column to check the proper growth and proper formation along with the imaging the development of the brain has been made possible by ultrasound imaging.
• Detection of multiple pregnancies that is twins, triplets or quadruplets has been made possible by ultrasound imaging.
• Birth defects such as missing limbs, gap in the spine or malformations of the urinary tract is possible through ultrasounds. A special type of ultrasound known as echocardiography which images the flow of blood through the chambers of the heart and other major blood vessels of the fetus helps in the detection of the heart irregularities.
• Using ultrasound imaging it can be determined if the fetus is especially large or is in abnormal position or if the placenta is blocking the exit of the uterus. In such cases, it will be easier for the doctor to decide if a cesarean delivery is required.
• Ultrasound imaging is also very important in prenatal surgery and also in the safe delivery of medications to the fetus.

3D Prenatal Ultrasound Imaging

The 3D type of ultrasound offers 3D images usually with photo quality details of the growing fetus. These ultrasound machines are available in selected medical centers and helps the health care providers analyze the images collected far better. They are similar to computerized tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The 3D prenatal ultrasound imaging also reduces the time that is required to conduct the exam.

4D Prenatal Ultrasound Imaging

In 4D prenatal ultrasound imaging, the fetus can be seen to cry, yawn, swallow, blink and perform intricate finger movements. The movements can be seen from mid pregnancy and become more common as the pregnancy advances.