One of the most common and informative methods of prenatal diagnosis is fetal ultrasound. Ultrasound examination allows you to identify pathological conditions, possible diseases of the child. Such diagnostics are traditionally performed three times during pregnancy. Ultrasound allows you to assess the development of the fetus, as well as the features of the course of pregnancy. According to doctors, the diagnostic method using ultrasound waves is safe for both the baby and the mother.
Three-time ultrasound examination is recommended for all expectant mothers without exception. But in some cases, ultrasound diagnostics can be prescribed additionally in order to get a complete picture of the course of pregnancy. Ultrasound waves do not bring any harm to a child and a woman, and the myth about the unsafeness of this type of prenatal diagnosis appeared due to the fact that many people confuse ultrasound examination with x-rays.
What is the ultrasound for?
The optimal periods for ultrasound examination are the periods of 11-13, 21-24, 32-34 weeks. The timing of pregnancy is calculated on the basis of the first day of the last menstruation. Each ultrasound has its own goals, and doctors do not prescribe a larger amount of diagnostics because these studies usually do not carry any additional information about the condition of the fetus.
For the first time, an ultrasound scan is performed to identify possible genetic disorders, to establish the exact duration of pregnancy, multiple pregnancies. The study allows you to identify most of the severe defects - heart, chromosomal pathology and others.
The second control ultrasound will also help to find possible defects with late manifestation, to assess the condition of the fetus, whether there are any delays in development. Diagnostics in the second trimester of pregnancy is aimed at fixing the degree of development of the placenta, the state of amniotic fluid. The second ultrasound allows you to find out the sex of the child.
The third ultrasound examination is necessary to determine the degree of development of the baby, its position in the mother's womb, presentation. The doctor will assess the condition of the placenta, amniotic fluid, and umbilical cord.
Ultrasound during pregnancy is safe
The harmlessness of ultrasound diagnostics during pregnancy has been proven by numerous studies. Examination in B-mode or standard can only slightly disturb the baby in the womb, but no more.
Although today there is no evidence that ultrasound can negatively affect the development of the child, doctors tend not to prescribe additional diagnostics unnecessarily. The duration of the study varies from several minutes to an hour, the time increases if an uncomfortable position of the baby is recorded, which affects the assessment of the development of pregnancy and the fetus.
There are also three- and four-dimensional ultrasound examinations, which give the opportunity to take photographs of the baby in the womb. Volumetric ultrasound is also performed in order to obtain a cut of the internal organs of your heir.
