Uses Of An Ultrasound Scan During Pregnancy

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Ultrasound scan uses high-frequency sound waves to get an idea about internal organs. The echoes produced by the sound waves are recorded and transformed into video or photographic images. A prenatal ultrasound scan will reveal all the radiological details of the pregnancy. The safety of ultrasound on baby is still controversial. At the same time a well-performed ultrasound scanning will help to get valuable information about the progress of your pregnancy and your baby's health.

Ultrasound scanning is considered important in pregnancy, especially in those who had a bad experience during their pregnancy. An ultrasound may be performed earlier in your pregnancy to determine the following conditions.

Live foetus: The first ultrasound scanning that will be done for you is mainly to check the heart beat of the foetus. The number of heart beats of the baby per minute is measured and recorded. This will ensure you that you have conceived a healthy baby.

Position of embryo: Ultrasound scan has a great role in determining whether the embryo is positioned correctly. It will help find out to check whether the embryo is in the womb to rule out any chances that the embryo is implanted in the fallopian tube.

Position of placenta: Ultrasound scanning is an excellent choice to find out the position of the placenta. Placenta can occur at any portion of the uterus during pregnancy. But, it needs special care if you have a low lying placenta covering the cervix even after 7 months.

Down's syndrome: The ultrasound scanning done within week 11-14 can find out whether the baby has a chance to have Down's syndrome or not. This is done by measuring the length of the nasal bone and the thickness of the skin on the back of the baby's neck.

Birth defect: The ultrasound scanning done by around week 18 to week 20 is usually called anomaly scanning. This will help find out whether the baby has any birth defect or not. By week 20 the sex of the baby will also be clear. Development of foetal structures such as the spine, limbs, brain and internal organs will be checked.

These are few uses of getting an ultrasound scan during pregnancy.