Ultrasounds

Ultrasounds allow the expectant mother to get a glimpse of their child for the first time during that long nine month pregnancy. Most ultrasounds are done for medical purposes, but an increasingly more popular option is to pay out of pocket for a new type of 3-D ultrasound that is used explicitly for pictures.

Using Ultrasounds

Medical ultrasounds are performed at various times during pregnancy. Many women will only receive one throughout the entire pregnancy, generally done at about 20 weeks gestation. This is one of the most extensive ultrasounds and can take up to an hour to perform. The technician will look for markers of certain diseases, take a close look at the internal organs and measure the limbs, abdomen and head. During this ultrasound is when many couples choose to find out the gender of the baby they are expecting. This particular ultrasound is often referred to as the "big" ultrasound during a pregnancy, as the most details are gathered and the gender can be determined.

In addition to this extensive ultrasound, there are several other reasons why medical ultrasounds may be performed during a pregnancy. If the mother has any chronic diseases, such as diabetes or high blood pressure, the likelihood of receiving several ultrasounds over the course of the pregnancy is quite high.

Doctors and technicians will look for fetal growth and any abnormalities that may occur, as problems are more likely to occur in this population of women. If a mother develops gestational diabetes, ultrasounds towards the end of the pregnancy are common to track baby growth, as babies tend to get larger those born to the unaffected population. Also, with these chronic diseases women can expect to receive Level II ultrasounds, which look more closely at anatomy.

The newer 3-D ultrasounds are generally not used by the medical field and are offered through private companies at a cost. When done outside of a medical office, the technicians are sometimes not licensed and they are not looking for anything medical while performing the scan. These ultrasounds are strictly for viewing and taking pictures of the child. These are scanned in 3-D mode so facial features are evident, such as the nose and lips, whereas most medical scans are only done in 2-D.

While it has not been proven that ultrasounds in general are harmful to a fetus, the medical field recommends that ultrasounds should only be performed when deemed essential. However, this decision lies in the hands of the patient as to what the risk/benefit ratio is for them.

Article by P.R. Jones an independent writer for Healthy Help Files on Baby Health Issues.

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