Ultrasound technology has allowed women and doctors to gain insight into the development of a fetus since as far back as the late 50s. These days the technology has evolved immensely, and doctors are able to glean more accurate information than ever before.
Using high frequency sound waves the sonograph forms an image of the fetus, from which doctors can monitor its development. Throughout their pregnancies, women will attend regular ultrasound scans to oversee the growth of their babies. While we know that women go for regular ultrasound scans, when do we have ultrasound scans during pregnancy?
When Do You Go for Ultrasound Scans?
Because each woman is an individual, not every woman will have the same number of scans. How many scans you go for are determined by whether you have given birth before and what your risk levels are. Women with underlying health conditions and women in their first pregnancy will typically require more ultrasound scans.
When ultrasound scans are conducted:
- From 6 weeks to 28 weeks – every four-to-six-weeks
- From 28 weeks to 36 weeks – every two to three weeks
- From 36 weeks onward – every week or two
What Ultrasound Scans Determine
While you are pregnant, your doctor will regularly perform ultrasound scans to monitor various aspects of your fetus’s development. The results of an ultrasound go far beyond the photograph you go home with.
What ultrasound scans tell us at each stage of a baby’s development:
First trimester
- Confirm pregnancy
- Confirm an estimated due date
- Determine whether the fetus is developing inside or outside the womb to rule out an ectopic pregnancy
- Rule out a miscarriage
- Screen for chromosomal abnormalities such Down’s syndrome
Second trimester
- Check whether there are any structural abnormalities in the fetus
- Ensure the placenta is functioning normally
- Assess the amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus
- Determine the gender of the fetus
Third trimester
- Ensure the placenta is functioning well
- Check the size and weight of the baby
How Safe Is an Ultrasound Scan During Pregnancy?
While doctors won’t recommend more ultrasound scans than are necessary, to date there is no evidence that ultrasound scans are harmful to the mother or the baby. In fact, ultrasound scans are considered to be extremely safe and as a result, they are the ideal imaging method for pregnant women. Ultrasound scans do not expose the fetus or the mother to ionising radiation unlike x-rays and CT scans. Instead of radiation, ultrasound scans employ high-frequency sound waves. These sound waves bounce off the bones and tissue of the fetus to produce an image of the fetus for the doctor and the mother to observe. Because ultrasound scans are so safe, they can be conducted regularly, throughout your pregnancy.
There is so much value in ultrasound technology that gynaecologists and obstetricians would have a hard time finding another way to monitor fetal development. When you have an ultrasound scan during a pregnancy, you know that the doctor has a window into your baby’s world and that you know the progression of your baby’s growth at every stage of your pregnancy.