Ultrasound test is also known as a sonography scan or a prenatal test. This test is the safest test to undergo during pregnancy since it doesn’t use any ionising radiation but instead uses only sound waves to produce the scan images of the inside of the body. We use USG tests during pregnancy to keep monitoring the growth and development of your baby. USG can help detect and determine an birth defects before delivery which gives the doctor enough time to plan for the treatment
What Does Ultrasound Tell About My Baby?
Your doctor does an USG test during your pregnancy to-
- Confirm your pregnancy in the first place
- It can tell if you are pregnant with twins, triplets or more known as multiple pregnancy
- Check baby’s movement, overall health including the heartbeat and muscle tone
- It can reveal the gender of the baby, but it has been put as an illegal act in india
- It can tell the duration of your pregnancy hence revealing the age of your baby.
- It can tell about a tentative due date
- Reveal the position of the baby before birth so as to plan for suitable delivery method
- To examine ovaries and uterus for further ovulation and complications
- It can reveal ectopic pregnancies ( pregnancy where implantation happens outside the uterus), molar pregnancy etc
- Tell about any defects in heart , spine defects or other birth defects which may hamper the child’s lifestyle
- It can reveal complications of pregnancy, such as bleedings, misccariage etc
What Are the Types of Ultrasound?
- Transabdominal ultrasound
- Trasnvaginal ultrasound
- Doppler ultrasound
- 3-D ultrasound
- 4-D ultrasound
How Many Times Do I Need Ultrasound During Pregnancy?
There is no definite calculation of how many times to get an ultrasound test during pregnancy. Your doctor needs to keep evaluating the baby for its growth and development to ensure safe and healthy baby delivery.The ultrasound can reveal different things when done at different points of duration during the pregnancy.
First Trimester Ultrasound
When the USG is done in the first 3 months of pregnancy, it is called first trimester ultrasound. It is used to confirm the pregnancy. It cantell if the baby has attached and is growing in the womb or outside the womb. If it is implanted outside the uterus/womb, it can be fatal also, and need s to be terminated. It confirms the number of embryos and the due date for delivery.
Second Trimester Ultrasound
Ultrasound done between 3-6 months of pregnancy or week 18 and week 20 is called second trimester ultrasound. It is used to check the growth and development of the foetus like to check the development of spine, limbs, brain and internal organs.it can tell whether the placenta is healthy and of enough size. The baby’s gender can be established at this stage.
Third Trimester Ultrasound
When the ultrasound is done after 6 months till the due date or after 30th week of pregnancy, it is known as third trimester ultrasound. It is used for continued monitoring of the child for its development and growth. The place and position of the placenta is confirmed during this stage to ensure that it doesn’t block the cervix.
Can Ultrasound Harm My Baby?
The ultrasound test is safe for your baby and infant is used to monitor your baby’s health and growth and its development to ensure its health. The doctors have been using USG as a precautionary tool for many years to detect and diagnose for any birth defects or conditions in the baby before it’s born. Which helps the doctor to plan for a suitable treatment plan. It can help determine the plan of delivery for whether it is going to be a normal delivery or a caesarean/ C-section needs to be done to deliver your baby.
