Going through a baby scan can be both an exciting and nervous experience for expecting mothers. Fetal ultrasound is done to evaluate the presence, size and location of the pregnancy. It can also determine the number of fetuses and gestational age. These examinations usually occur in all trimesters.
Transabdominal ultrasound
This is the most common type of ultrasound and is commonly seen in movies and TV shows. A technician applies a conductive gel over a mother’s abdomen and rubs a transducer over it. A two-dimensional image of your child will appear, and it will serve as a guide on whether you need other tests.
Transvaginal ultrasound
Doctors perform the transvaginal ultrasound during the first 10 weeks of pregnancy to determine if the pregnancy is viable. Unlike the transabdominal ultrasound, the technician inserts the transducer into the vagina and performs the scan there. You might have to go through this examination if the transabdominal ultrasound didn’t provide enough information.
3D ultrasound
While normal ultrasound provides a two-dimensional image of the fetus, the 3D ultrasound can form clear images from a series of angles. Doctors perform this examination to detect facial abnormalities or neural tube defects.
Fetal echocardiography
When doctors suspect cardiac problems or unusual from the standard ultrasound, they might request for this type of ultrasound. This examination provides a detailed image of the baby’s heart and can be performed both vaginally and through the abdomen.
Doppler ultrasound
A Doppler ultrasound is similar to a standard ultrasound, but its purpose is to see you and your baby’s blood flow. This examination is done is to determine if the blood supply in the baby is healthy.
Conclusion
Thanks to the advancement of technology, there more than one way to determine the health of your baby as early as a few months old. Although mothers might be excited to catch a glimpse of their baby, ultrasounds are performed for valid medical reasons.
Learn more about fetal ultrasounds by visiting https://abbottnutrition.com.my/pregnant-mom/prepare-ultrasounds-firsttrimester.
