What Is a Sonogram Used For?
For most pregnant women, sonograms are a regular part of prenatal medical care, which provides future parents with the first glimpses of their baby. It allows your doctor to monitor your baby’s growth, detect abnormalities, track milestones home in on your due date.
Besides, this kind of check-ups is also used to assess a developing pregnancy to:
- Confirm the Pregnancy
- Check for Multiple Pregnancies (twins, triplets, etc.)
- Problems with the Placenta (Placenta Previa, Vasa Previa, Placenta Accreta, Placenta Increta, Placenta Percreta)
- Monitor Fetal Position
- Check for Congenital Anomalies
- Monitor Fetal Growth
- Monitor the Level of Amniotic Fluid
- Aid in Other Tests
The first sonogram will take place when you are 6 to 8 weeks pregnant, as we heard from Women’s center Fort Lauderdale specialists. When scheduling your appointment, make sure to ask if you need to have a full bladder for the test because sound waves will travel better through the liquid. The full bladder matters less, as your uterus and the fetus grow.
Your doctor may need to perform a vaginal ultrasound. That may be recommended if you are less than eight weeks pregnant, you are overweight, or the baby is deep inside your abdomen. The early sonogram scans may increase the detection of some congenital anomalies.
Sonograms done after ten weeks of pregnancy are usually performed abdominally. The doctor will place gel on your belly and then will rub a hand-held device called the probe to obtain a picture of your developing baby.
The sonogram is safe for both you and your baby when done by healthcare professionals. It uses sound waves instead of radiation, which means that it’s more reliable than the X-rays. Health care providers have been using ultrasound for more than 30 years now, and they haven’t found any dangerous risks.
It ‘s up to you whether or not are you going to have ultrasound scans during pregnancy. Most women usually find it reassuring to know that their pregnancy is healthy. If there are any abnormalities, it’s possible to arrange an immediate specialist to help manage your pregnancy in the best possible way and prepare you for the birth. In case you are unsure if you would like to have an ultrasound, you can discuss it with your health care provider to help you make the right decision.
Women are only left guessing at how far along they are in their pregnancy without an ultrasound. In case you have irregular cycles or you maybe don’t keep track of your cycles, it can be more difficult for you to estimate how far along you. After an ultrasound, the doctor can provide you with all of the facts and options that you have.
Sometimes an ultrasound can be used in the diagnosis of problems after the baby is born. Although it is not as useful as MRI or CT imaging for detecting the type of hypoxic-ischemic injury in the brain of a newborn, it is very useful in the diagnosis of brain hemorrhage, and also for an initial assessment of brain anatomy in order to determine if there are any changes to the anatomy that suggests prior insult.
