• Preparing for the first ultrasound. When do the first ultrasound during pregnancy and what it will show - advice on how to prepare for the examination. How long is the planned ultrasound performed?

    27.09.2019

    An ultrasound examination is done for every woman carrying a child. The use of this examination method allows you to find out the sex of the fetus and make sure that its development takes place without pathologies. You need to know when an ultrasound examination should be carried out, why it should not be missed and what should be the preparation for an ultrasound of a pregnant woman.

    Preparation for ultrasound during pregnancy is simple. If it is carried out in a state clinic, a diaper will be needed - it is placed on the couch. You also need to take napkins and shoe covers with you. All this is provided in private clinics.

    Thanks to this study, it is most often possible to assess the condition of the patient and the child.

    This diagnostic method has the following advantages:

    • a large degree of information content;
    • research is fast and simple;
    • increased security;
    • the surveyed does not require special training;
    • examinations can be repeated to monitor how the pregnancy is going, how the fetus develops, to monitor the effectiveness of treatment.

    When is the first ultrasound done, what can the studies show?

    Even in the absence of any complaints during pregnancy, it is necessary to visit the ultrasound examination room.

    For the first time, the examination should be carried out for a period of 11 to 14 weeks. In this case, the presence of pregnancy in the patient and the presence of the fetus in the uterine cavity is recorded.

    Now ultrasound allows you to make sure that there is a uterine pregnancy, even with a recently started delay in menstruation, i.e. after 4-5 weeks from 1 day of the last menstruation. At this time, the diameter of the fetus is about 5 mm.

    Later stages of pregnancy are determined by measuring the maximum distance from the head of the embryo to its coccyx (coccygeal-parietal size of the fetus). The results are checked against the standard indicators. In this case, the error will be no more than 3 days.

    In the third week of pregnancy, an embryo is found, at the same time you can see the heartbeat. By this time, the coccygeal-parietal size of the fetus is approximately 4 mm. From the seventh week, his head is visible, the limbs are determined from the eighth week, the bones in them - from 9-11 weeks, after the formation of ossification points. The number of fingers can be determined upon reaching the deadline of 11-14 weeks, this makes it possible to detect a number of certain pathologies.

    Using transvaginal echography, you can see the bladder and stomach of the embryo from 11-12 weeks, and the kidneys from 12-13 weeks of pregnancy. Sex determination in the 1st trimester is not carried out, information most often becomes available at about 15-16 weeks. Using the most modern equipment, it is possible to determine the sex at an early stage by ultrasound. However, the most reliable information about the sex of the fetus can be obtained only for periods of about 22-25 weeks.

    What kind of ultrasound is done during pregnancy?

    With the help of modern equipment, you can perform various ultrasound examinations of the fetus. Which type will be used is chosen based on the duration of pregnancy. Ultrasound methods are as follows:

    1. Transvaginal.
    2. Transabdominal.

    Transvaginal examination is carried out only when early dates... It is the most accurate. However, such diagnostics are not performed for more later dates, as it can damage the embryo. In view of this, a transabdominal study is used for these periods.

    The types of procedure are as follows:

    1. Doppler measurement (duplex, triplex examination).
    2. Volumetric 3D and 4D scanning.

    In state clinics, 2D ultrasound is most often performed - with its help, the study takes place in 2 dimensions: in height and width. The image is black and white and flat, like a photo. This type of examination is carried out when the first ultrasound is done for pregnant women, as well as at a later date, i.e. regardless of the gestational age, it provides the doctor with basic information about the fetus.

    The resolution of the Ministry of Health states that there must be at least 3 examinations. How much will additional examinations, the doctor who leads the pregnancy decides, depending on the condition of the patient and the fetus.

    Is ultrasound harmful during pregnancy?

    Ultrasound should not be considered a method of determining pregnancy: its presence is established using methods that are cheaper and simpler. Despite the fact that ultrasound is safe and does not cause pathologies in the development of the fetus, in the early stages it is better to carry out it exclusively when absolutely necessary. There is no information in medicine that the ultrasound power used in research instruments does any harm to the fetus and mother. But you still need to do diagnostics less often without a doctor's prescription.

    What is 3D 3D and 4D ultrasound during pregnancy?

    3D (three-dimensional) ultrasound of the embryo is the most modern diagnostic method; when it is applied, a color volumetric holographic image appears on the screen. With the help of 3D ultrasound, you can see the facial features of the child, his facial expressions. You can get data on multiple pregnancies. The main advantage of 3D diagnostics is displaying high quality images on the screen.

    The power, intensity and frequency of ultrasonic waves do not exceed those for 2D ultrasound. Only the time of the examination differs: 2D ultrasound lasts 15-20 minutes, and 3D ultrasound examination - from 50 minutes.

    4D ultrasound is similar to 3D. It differs only in the appearance of 4 dimensions. With 4D ultrasound, you can not only see the movements of the child, but also record all this on video. After such an examination, future parents have the opportunity to receive, along with the results of ultrasound during pregnancy, not only a photo of the child, but also a video recording. 3D and 4D ultrasound should be performed on the second routine diagnostics, when the fetus has facial expressions. Most of the private clinics do these types of ultrasounds.

    What is Doppler ultrasound during pregnancy?

    Doppler ultrasonography is an examination that can be used to assess blood flow in the great vessels (veins and arteries), its quantitative and qualitative characteristics.

    This method has another name - dopplerography. Doppler is a diagnostic result, it is based on the analysis of the difference in the frequencies of the sent probing signal and the reflected from the blood particles moving through the vessels - erythrocytes.

    Doppler analysis analyzes the frequency and spectrum of the received ultrasound signal, studies the difference between the parietal and central flows. Ultrasound signs of deviations from the “sounding” norm of the signal are registered.

    Unlike ultrasound diagnostics, which is prescribed for the available indications, regardless of the patient's gestational age, Doppler ultrasound has a strictly set time frame. This is an interval from 21 to 22 weeks. At this time, it is carried out:

    • doppler blood flow of the uterus, placenta and fetus;
    • determination of the position of the fetus;
    • establishing the presence or absence of an umbilical cord entanglement and symptoms of oxygen starvation;
    • determination of the state of the main arteries and fetal heart.

    In order to find out what state the child is in, they receive data on the state of blood flow during these periods.

    Dopplerometry is an irreplaceable test that provides information about the condition of the baby's arteries in the uterus. Doppler examination of the fetus allows you to assess blood flow in such vascular systems as:

    • PPK - fruit and placental;
    • BMD - uteroplacental (in both arteries that supply the uterus with blood);
    • PC - fetal.

    Fetal blood flow includes blood supply through the internal carotid artery, middle head artery, and aortic blood supply.

    Diagnosis of BMD provides information about the quality of blood supply to the placenta and excludes / confirms placental insufficiency, the AUC establishes the degree of placental insufficiency (as determined by BMD), how the fetus is provided with nutrients and oxygen. PC gives an assessment of the condition of the fetus, the degree of its criticality.

    Fetal blood flow is impaired in the presence of arterial and placental insufficiency.

    Ultrasound during pregnancy: how to prepare?

    First, you need to make an appointment in advance for an ultrasound examination. When preparing for diagnostics, be sure to take documents: insurance policy, passport, exchange card.

    In the 1st trimester, the examination is sometimes done abdominally with a full bladder... Before diagnosis, they drink water.

    It is necessary to sleep well before the ultrasound examination, you need to avoid all kinds of excitement and long waiting for the procedure in a cramped and stuffy room. All this can affect the uterus, and the study may reveal a false threat of miscarriage.

    Is it allowed to eat and drink before an ultrasound during pregnancy?

    It is allowed to eat at any time. But if you are preparing for an ultrasound, you do not need to eat foods that cause gas in the intestines (fresh bread, legumes, sweets, fresh fruits and vegetables). You can eat the rest of the food.

    Drinking water is allowed without any restrictions, but after diagnosis, the bladder should be emptied. Transvaginal examination with a full bladder is sometimes associated with discomfort. You should not drink coffee and strong tea. Their effect on the body can distort the test results.

    What should be the preparation for ultrasound during pregnancy, determine 2 factors: the method of the procedure and the duration of pregnancy.

    How is ultrasound done and is such a procedure important?

    During the entire pregnancy, 3 examinations, or screenings, are done. Screening is a procedure that identifies patients with an existing abnormality or pathology of the course of pregnancy.

    The first screening includes genetic testing. It can identify malformations and defects in the genes of the fetus. If complex pathologies are found in him, they may conduct additional tests or terminate the pregnancy. This diagnosis is carried out from 11 to 14 weeks of the gestational process, while the gestation period is specified.

    The second examination is carried out from 20 to 24 weeks of pregnancy. At this time, specialists can determine the sex of the fetus, exclude the presence of most of the congenital pathologies, because all its organs and systems have been formed by this time.

    In the third diagnostic procedure, the state of the "uterus-placenta-fetus" system is checked, the gestational age and the weight with which the baby will be born are determined. Determine the presentation of the fetus and how the size of the child and the patient's birth canal are related. All this helps to determine how the obstetric aid will go, and whether prompt delivery will be necessary.

    What if for some reason I missed a scheduled ultrasound scan?

    If the ultrasound procedure was missed, it should be done as soon as possible. The time of the ultrasound diagnostics is set according to special reasons - in the early stages, you can see whether the fetus is developing correctly, start therapy, or terminate the pregnancy with the least harm to the patient's body.

    The patient needs to keep all the results of ultrasound examinations. This will allow the specialist to understand how the pregnancy proceeds, the embryo develops, and also to identify emerging pathologies in time.

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    Why do you need an ultrasound examination during pregnancy?

    Any obstetrician will tell you how much necessary and sometimes vital information can be obtained with the help Ultrasound (ultrasound examination). Before this diagnostic method was used in medicine, the size of the fetus remained a mystery, it was also impossible to identify genetic abnormalities, to control the state of the placenta. On rare occasions, x-rays have been used to identify genetic abnormalities. But X-rays are extremely harmful to the development of the fetus. Therefore, this method was referred to as emergency. Thus, ultrasound has revolutionized obstetrics.

    Some expectant mothers doubt the need to attend an ultrasound scan. To this, any gynecologist will say that even with an outwardly favorable course of pregnancy, it is impossible to determine, for example, genetic deformities, aging of the placenta and many other anomalies that can cause fetal death or the birth of a sick baby.

    • You should know that children with defects are born in ninety percent of cases in perfectly healthy mothers and fathers. Thus, only ultrasound can detect them,
    • Many defects can only be detected using this method, which is done during a screening examination,
    • With the help of probing and listening, it is far from always possible to detect multiple pregnancies, but to follow further how the twins develop is possible only with the help of ultrasound,
    • Only with this method can placenta previa or its low location ( threat of bleeding and miscarriage),
    • About half of expectant mothers are not able to correctly calculate the due date. Most often, the error is 14 days. This time frame can be vital. With the help of ultrasound, you can calculate the due date with an accuracy of several days.

    How many times can you get an ultrasound scan during pregnancy?

    All indications for ultrasound examination are divided into screening and selective.
    Screening ultrasounds are performed on all pregnant women on time. They are aimed at detecting developmental defects. Such studies provide information about the size of the fetus, compliance with their developmental norms, as well as the state of the placenta and uterus. Screening examinations are usually 3 - 4.
    Selective examinations are prescribed if the pregnancy is complicated or the doctor has doubts about the normal development of the fetus. Due to the fact that such examinations are prescribed in connection with a disease or pathology, their number may be different depending on the condition. In special cases, ultrasound is done even twice a week.

    Examination dates by week of pregnancy

    Screening obstetric ultrasound is appointed on time:
    • 10 - 14 weeks,
    • 20 - 24 weeks,
    • 30 - 32 weeks,
    • 36 - 37 weeks.

    Early examination (4 weeks)

    A transvaginal examination can detect the presence of the ovum as early as three weeks after conception. After four weeks, you can already "see" some of the details of its structure.
    A four-week-old embryo reaches 5 millimeters in length. It is still impossible to find out where his head is, but after a couple of weeks, limbs, head and body stand out. At this time, he begins to move.


    The main purpose of this examination is to make sure that there is a pregnancy and that the ovum is in the uterus. And also to investigate the state of the chorion ( placenta in the future) and amniotic fluid... It is advisable to undergo such an examination with a very qualified specialist. Sometimes the doctor has doubts, in which case another study is carried out a week later.

    Examination at 10 - 14 weeks

    The first examination at 10 - 14 weeks reveals the location of the ovum, diagnosing a uterine or ectopic pregnancy. On the same examination, the thickness of the collar zone is necessarily studied - the place located on the back of the neck. If this zone is more than normal, this indicates a genetic abnormality. And the expectant mother will be sent for a consultation with a geneticist. It is at a period of 12-13 weeks with the help of ultrasound that Down syndrome can be detected, then the fetus develops, and these violations will no longer be noticeable.

    The diameter of the ovum is determined, as well as its length from the coccyx to the crown. An important parameter for well-being is the size of the uterus. It is this size that indicates the duration of pregnancy, because the increase in the size of the fetus takes place in a standard way, in contrast to later periods. In the transcript to ultrasound, sometimes it is not the obstetric term, that is, from the first days of the last menstruation, appears, but the embryonic term - the period from conception itself. Usually the difference between these periods is no more than 14 days. On the screen you can see how the little man moves, how he moves his arms and legs, and even opens his mouth.

    The placenta is only formed by 16 weeks. At the first examination, they study exactly where it is attached to the uterus, how close the uterine pharynx is ( norm - at least 6 centimeters). If the placenta is found on the pharynx, a diagnosis of placenta previa is made, which entails complications during childbirth. Sometimes during the first examination, a low location of the placenta is found, but subsequently it rises to a normal level.

    The structure of the placenta and its thickness are also important.
    During the examination, the number of vessels in the umbilical cord is checked. There should be three of them.

    The condition of the amniotic fluid is another important indicator of pregnancy well-being. Amniotic fluid volume is calculated through the amniotic index. If the index is increased, this indicates polyhydramnios, if it is reduced in comparison with the norm, they speak of low water. A strong deviation of this indicator indicates a violation of blood circulation in the placenta - fetoplacental insufficiency.
    Turbidity in the amniotic fluid may indicate an infection.
    The uterus is also examined: the presence of myomatous nodes, the tone of the uterus, the thickness of its walls is determined.

    Second examination at 20-24 weeks

    The main purpose of this examination is to identify abnormalities in the development of the internal organs of the fetus: liver, kidneys, heart, brain, digestive organs, and also to detect symptoms of fetal infection. The facial features of the fetus are now clearly visible and defects such as a cleft lip or cleft palate can also be found. Even a violation of the laying of teeth is detected at this time. Now it is already possible to determine the sex of the unborn baby, although this data may still be subject to correction. You can very accurately study the structure of the heart, right down to the chambers and valves, as well as calculate the heart rate.

    At this time, it is already quite accurately possible to determine the localization of the placenta and diagnose its presentation.
    In eight cases of pregnancy out of ten, the umbilical cord loops are in close proximity to the neck or legs of the fetus. However, this does not indicate the presence of an umbilical cord entanglement. This diagnosis is based on Doppler imaging and indicates that the fetus is suffering from a lack of oxygen and nutrients. But even in the presence of entanglement, doctors do not always resort to surgical intervention during childbirth.

    Examination at 30 - 32 weeks

    At this time, developmental delay syndrome can be detected, a number of developmental disorders ( e.g. heart defects) that could not be detected earlier. This examination also traces the position of the placenta and the fetus, early aging of the placenta can be detected. According to the norms, up to 32 weeks, the placenta should be of the second degree of maturity.
    The amniotic index at this time should be 10 - 20 cm.
    At this time, you can determine how much the weight and height of the fetus corresponds to the age norms.

    Examination at 36 - 37 weeks

    The size and weight of the fetus is determined. The position of the fetus is also of great importance at this time. Although, before giving birth, he can still roll over.
    From this date, the degree of aging of the placenta is 3. Its thickness is 26 - 45 mm. Any deviation from the norm is the reason for additional Doppler examination, and possibly analyzes. It is very important that it is during these last weeks that the baby does not suffer from a lack of oxygen and nutrients.

    Fetal heart examination

    Ultrasound examination of the fetal heart during intrauterine development - this is very difficult task, requiring high professionalism from doctors. Such research is a novelty in medicine. According to statistics, the first place among all defects in newborns is taken by heart defects. Often the baby leaves the hospital home, and his parents believe that everything is in order with the baby and that a heart problem is found only by the age of two or three years.
    With the help of an expert ultrasound of the heart in a fetus, it is possible to detect almost all life-threatening defects that either lead to death or require urgent surgical intervention immediately after the birth of the child.

    You can start such studies no earlier than 18 or 20 weeks of gestation. During the study, valves, ventricles, vessels are examined in great detail, and the blood flow rate is also calculated. Septal defects are also found.

    Indications for expert ultrasound of the heart in the fetus:

    • Insulin-dependent form of diabetes mellitus in the mother,
    • Fetal heart rate irregularities
    • Genetic predisposition to congenital heart defects,
    • The use of certain medications of a pregnant woman in the first weeks of gestation,
    • The likelihood of a defect detected during a routine ultrasound examination.

    Preparation for ultrasound

    If the pregnancy is less than 12 weeks and a transabdominal examination is being performed, the doctor will ask you to drink about a liter of water an hour before the procedure. A filled bladder will "squeeze" the uterus out of the pelvic cavity and give it a better view. At a later date, as well as during a transvaginal examination, no preparation is required.

    Explanation of examination results

    The first items in the ultrasound protocol will be the surname, name, patronymic of the subject, then the first day of the last menstrual cycle, as well as the probable gestational age.
    Most of the information will be about the fetus.

    So:
    1. The presence of the fetus and their number, condition.
    2. Presence of presentation ( oblique, transverse, pelvic, head or variable). In the first and second trimesters, the fetus can assume any position. But after thirty weeks, the position should normally be head-present. But there is a possibility and breech presentation... Sometimes in such cases, a cesarean section is prescribed. Although a few hours are enough for the baby to take the "correct" position.
    3. Fetometry of the fetus: the size of the head, abdomen, thigh, heart and cerebellum, height and weight, duration, as well as growth parameters: normal, slow, accelerated or none at all. The presence of hypotrophy.
    4. Collar width. In a properly developing fetus at 12 weeks, the width should be within 3 mm.
    5. The presence of congenital defects.
    6. The presence of an umbilical cord entwined around the neck. Its presence should not immediately scare you.
    7. Heart rate ( Heart rate) should be between 110 and 180 beats per minute. The "older" the fetus, the less this indicator - by the end of pregnancy from 120 to 160 beats per minute.

    Transvaginal examination

    A transvaginal ultrasound examination is prescribed from a three-week period and is done only in the early stages. Such an examination allows you to clearly see the ovum and fetus and establish the gestational age with an error of one day. The examination allows you to identify an ectopic pregnancy, as well as some malformations that are already noticeable at such early stages of development.

    Ultrasound 3d and 4d

    If most of the devices operating in 2d polyclinics show a black and white flat image, then the 3d device makes it possible to see the baby in volume. Such a device shows a clearer picture, allowing parents to independently determine whether they are expecting a son or daughter. It turns out something like a holographic photography.
    The device for volumetric ultrasound examination is no different in appearance from their predecessors. Ultrasound frequency is similar to 2d analogues. Thus, the procedure is no more dangerous than conventional research.

    A three-dimensional examination can be carried out at the same time as a regular one. But it is best to do it before 24 weeks, since at this "age" the child still fits entirely on the screen. Interestingly, after 30 weeks, some babies even show a resemblance to one of the parents.

    The duration of the three-dimensional examination is slightly longer than the usual one. Since at first a two-dimensional image is made, and then a special function is turned on and a three-dimensional image appears on the monitor.
    During a three-dimensional examination, you can very clearly see the blood supply system, and also identify some defects that are invisible during a two-dimensional examination.

    4d is already a full color film about a baby that you can watch and shoot.
    The image can be immediately downloaded to disk and left in the family archive.
    Due to the fact that the equipment for this type of examination is expensive, and the medical information obtained from 3d or 4d differs little from the already known two-dimensional image, government clinics rarely purchase such equipment.

    Doppler

    With the help of dopplerometry, you can determine the state of the blood supply system of the fetus and placenta.
    This is very important information that is required if a pregnant woman has blood clotting problems.

    Indications for dopplerometry.

    Ultrasound is the most popular and safest method for diagnosing pregnancy research. With the help of ultrasound beams, the obstetrician-gynecologist studies the development of the fetus and sees how many babies are in the womb.

    This procedure helps to determine the sex of the baby already in the second trimester of pregnancy. In the early stages, the study is carried out transvaginally (using a vaginal probe), this helps to most accurately examine the embryo and determine if there are any developmental complications.

    Features of the first ultrasound scan during pregnancy

    Gynecologists recommend that expectant mothers undergo screening once a trimester. This will help monitor the development of the child and protect the woman from the development of pathological processes. However, sometimes in the first trimester, a girl is prescribed not one ultrasound, but two.

    What is the reason for this? The very first diagnosis is done when a woman is registered in a hospital. After fertilization has been identified, the gynecologist appoints the girl the first scheduled ultrasound scan for 10-12 weeks of gestation. Therefore, it turns out that in the early stages a woman must undergo two ultrasound diagnostics.

    When you first contact antenatal clinic using this research method (it happens a couple of days or weeks after the delay), the doctor checks whether the girl is pregnant. After establishing the fact of fertilization, she is assigned additional tests and procedures to check whether the development of the embryo is normal.

    Diagnostics shows the presence / absence of an ectopic or frozen pregnancy. With such a diagnosis, the embryo will not be able to fully develop and will die, so the doctor recommends interrupting the gestation.

    At the first examination, the gynecologist examines the structure of the embryo, establishes the absence / presence of chromosomal pathologies and neural tube defects. The doctor sets the deadline for calculating the PDD (estimated date of delivery).

    When do the first ultrasound

    Usually, the attending physician will determine when to do the first tests. The time of events should fall on 12-14 weeks of gestation. It is during this period that you can most accurately assess the condition of the fetus and see pathological processes.

    However, a gynecologist can prescribe a procedure at the following stages of embryo development:

    1. Diagnostic ultrasound procedure at 1 week after conception. Such an event will help to identify if a woman has an ectopic pregnancy or a hydatidiform mole. And also the test confirms the fertilization of the egg;
    2. Lab test at 3-4 weeks. During the study, the doctor looks at how the umbilical cord of the embryo was formed, and whether the rudiments of the limbs began to develop;
    3. The next procedure is carried out 2-3 months after conception. Assessment of the anatomical structure of the skeleton. During this period, the specialist can identify possible defects and pathological processes in the development of the fetus. In the middle of the first trimester, you can already see the formed organs of the unborn child (kidneys, liver, genitourinary system and stomach), hear the baby's heartbeat. And also it turns out if there are any delays in the development of the baby;
    4. The most accurate screening ultrasound results are obtained at 12-14 weeks of gestation. Usually performed if there has been an embryo transfer (IVF). It is not necessary to carry it out, but if the girl has any signs of ill health, then it is better to do it. Diagnostics will help to identify the exact causes of discomfort (if a woman has pain, pulls the lower abdomen, there is bloody discharge). At this time, the girl has the opportunity to find out the sex of the child. In addition, tests at this time are needed in order to determine the amount of amniotic fluid and whether the child's place is properly fixed.

    All test results are compared with the table, which indicates the decoding of the indicators and their rate in a certain period of gestation.

    Before poisoning a girl in a position for laboratory examination, the doctor conducts an obstetric examination. After that, a list of procedures that need to be done is assigned. The attending doctor should advise the woman and tell in detail how to prepare for the event.

    The preparation is as follows:

    1. 2-3 days before the procedure, it is necessary to exclude fatty, fried, salty foods, fast food from the diet.
    2. Stop drinking alcohol and cigarettes.
    3. The last meal before tests should be 8-9 hours before. If necessary, your doctor may ask you to empty your stomach before the test.
    4. It is recommended to drink 0.5 liters of pure non-carbonated water 15-20 minutes before visiting the doctor.

    In addition, the gynecologist warns the woman that she will need to take a clean waffle towel or a disposable diaper with her to the appointment. If the procedure is performed transvaginally, then a condom is also required.

    How is the examination carried out

    In the early stages, transabdominal diagnosis is carried out through the abdominal cavity. The girl is in the position to lie down on the couch and bares her stomach. Before the procedure, the obstetrician-gynecologist lubricates the abdomen with cool white or transparent gel for better wave penetration. After which he drives the sensor in the lower abdomen, an image of the fetus appears on the monitor.

    In the first stages of development after conception, only a qualified specialist can decipher the picture of the results. The girl will not be able to independently determine what is shown on the screen and whether there are any deviations. After that, the protocol is filled in, where all the data received is recorded. The protocol for the entire period of pregnancy is stored in the patient's medical record. The entire examination takes an average of 7-10 minutes.

    What will the first ultrasound show?

    1 routine examination is necessary in order to identify serious pathological processes and, if necessary, interrupt gestation in time. At the first stages of embryo development, the doctor looks at whether the heart, head, limbs of the future baby are formed correctly.

    By the middle of the 1st trimester, you can already see the baby's face. The diameter of the collar zone and the size of the skull are also determined here. In addition, in the first weeks of gestation, you can accurately determine when conception occurred.

    If, after an obstetric examination, any problems were identified, then an ultrasound scan is prescribed earlier than the established deadlines. And also the reason for early diagnosis can be IVF, the threat of miscarriage, the fading of pregnancy. In any case, diagnostic measures are carried out after 5 weeks of gestation. Since earlier, ultrasound will not give any accurate results.

    The benefits or harms of ultrasound during pregnancy

    Screening ultrasound is prescribed for absolutely all girls in a position when registering with an antenatal clinic. This diagnostic method has many advantages. First of all, it allows you to prevent the development of an ectopic pregnancy or arbitrary termination of pregnancy, which is important when carrying a child.

    In addition, modern ultrasound is:

    • the most accurate indicators of pregnancy;
    • a test that helps to determine the pathological processes of fetal development even at the very first stages;
    • a way to quickly identify the cause of the deviations and start conservative treatment;
    • determination of the diligence of the fetus in the womb;
    • diagnostics of fetal hypoxia and assessment of full blood circulation.

    Despite all the advantages, it is believed that such an examination is still dangerous for the health of the mother and child. This is explained by the fact that ultrasound waves can negatively affect the development of the fetus and worsen the course of pregnancy. In fact, this is not the case, quite often women confuse ultrasound with x-rays, thinking that the two methods affect the body in the same way.

    Ultrasonic radiation is designed so as not to harm the baby and mother, so it is quite safe to do it, and most importantly, it is necessary. Of course, conduct a survey of your own free will future mother Not recommended. But if the gynecologist has prescribed a procedure, then it is best to go through it and make sure that the future baby is developing normally.

    When is the best time to go for an ultrasound scan and what it will show, the video will tell.

    Conclusion

    Pregnancy is the most wonderful period in the life of every woman. After the conception has been confirmed by the doctor, tests are prescribed for the expectant mother.

    One of the mandatory procedures is ultrasound. It allows you to find out the maximum amount of information about the development of the fetus, determine the timing of fertilization and identify pathological processes that threaten the life of the expectant mother and baby.

    The examination is completely painless and takes 10-15 minutes. Therefore, you should not be afraid and refuse it, as it will help you get to know the unborn child better and warn against possible complications.

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