The Evolution of Ultrasound in Prenatal Care

Seeing the image of an unborn baby on a screen is one of the most exciting ways to use ultrasound machines. In fact, many people don’t realize that, other than obstetrics, ultrasound is used as a diagnostic tool for many other areas of medicine. As other forms of ultrasound have become available, the fetal ultrasound machine has undergone some great technological breakthroughs itself.

Today’s fetal ultrasound machines allow patients to see both 3D and 4D images of the fetus, find out the baby’s gender, and profile the condition of their baby. But perhaps the most important function of the machine is to help doctors evaluate the development and growth of the fetus and identify any abnormalities.

While ultrasounds can be done at any time during a pregnancy, they are most commonly administered between the 18th and 20th week in a procedure that is known as an anomaly scan. This standard test only takes about twenty minutes, and provides parents with 2-D images, the real gestational age of the fetus, the gender (if desired) and other pertinent information about its growth and development. Any more advanced scanning will require 3-D images, which can take a lot longer.

In addition to routine scanning, professionally trained staffs can also treat tubal or ectopic pregnancies using ultrasound machines to determine the exact location of the fetus. In multiple pregnancies, ultrasound can also be used to find out how many babies are in the womb. Doctors also use the technology to analyze the baby’s heart rate, movement and breathing.

Where there is a high risk pregnancy, doctors also use ultrasound to check for the presence of Down’s Syndrome. Sometime between the 11th and 14th week, an obstetrician will use ultrasound to measure very specific parts of the fetus. It can also help the doctor to know where to place the needle when drawing amniotic fluid for genetic testing.

Ultrasound machines are a very important part of prenatal care. Thanks to recent breakthroughs, they provide a much higher level of technology today than when they were first introduced.