During her pregnancy, mothers need to have fetal ultrasound tests to check the health and development of the fetus. Let's find out the important pregnancy ultrasound milestones that cannot be ignored in the article below.
The importance of fetal ultrasound
Ultrasound is a technique that uses high frequency sound waves (> 20,000 Hz) to build and reproduce images of the internal structure of the body. The transducer emits ultrasonic waves that travel through the body, which is then reflected back and converted into an image displayed on the screen, which helps to record an image of the fetus in the womb.
Ultrasound is a simple, non-invasive form of fetal examination that helps the doctor monitor the fetal development, and detect abnormalities during pregnancy for appropriate intervention. Thanks to an ultrasound, the doctor can:
Confirm that the mother is pregnant, the number of fetuses in the womb, pregnancy complications such as ectopic pregnancy ...
Check gestational age and growth of the baby, from which calculate the due date
Measure heart rate, count fetal movements
Screening for birth defects . If the ultrasound detects abnormalities, the doctor may order additional diagnostic tests
Check for abnormalities in the ovaries and uterus.
What are the important fetal ultrasound milestones that you cannot ignore?
Ultrasound for 6 - 9 weeks
Confirm the mother is pregnant or not and the number of pregnancies
Determine your due date
Measure fetal heart rate
Make sure the pregnancy is in the uterus (to rule out an ectopic pregnancy)
Assessment of abnormality at an early stage.
Usually, about 1-2 weeks after a period delay, the mother can perform an ultrasound for the first time. The fetus can be seen as early as 4-5 weeks after the first day of the last menstrual cycle and fetal heartbeat can appear as early as 6 weeks gestation.
Ultrasound markers are between 11 and 13 weeks
This is an important time of an ultrasound scan of the pregnant mother must not be ignored, because this is the time to measure the nape of the nape to predict some chromosomal abnormalities, thereby determining the risk of Down syndrome. Edward's syndrome of the fetus. This is also the time for ultrasound to diagnose abnormalities in fetal morphology such as infarction, brain herniation, abdominal wall herniation, diaphragmatic hernia, limb malformation ...
The index of nape of the neck is normal at 2.5mm. The hazard index is from 3mm (risk of Down is 30%). The thicker the nape of the nape, the higher the incidence, and vice versa. If abnormal, the doctor will order a number of other tests such as amniocentesis, umbilical cord puncture.
You need to remember that the nape of the nape of the neck is only accurate at the time of pregnancy from 11 weeks 6 days to 13 weeks 6 days (when the buttock length is from 45 - 80 mm), after this point all are back to normal. definitely do not ignore this ultrasound milestone, mom.
Ultrasound at 20-22 weeks
Time ultrasound next week mother about 20-22 of pregnancy. During this visit, the mother will have a better overview of the baby's health. The doctor will examine:
Size, weight of the fetus
The main organs of the baby's body
Measure the amount of amniotic fluid, observe the position of the placenta
Detecting birth defects: Week 22 is the time when defects appear in the fetus such as cleft palate, cleft palate, congenital heart, diaphragmatic herniation, open abdominal wall, spina bifida ... can also be detected during this period
Tell me the sex of the fetus (if you want to know).
This milestone is particularly important, as there is a possible solution to suspend the pregnancy if there is a problem with an abnormal fetus (suspensions can only be made before 22 weeks).
Mold of pregnancy ultrasound from 30 - 32 weeks of pregnancy
At this week of pregnancy, your doctor will do an ultrasound to detect:
Abnormalities in the arteries, heart and certain brain structural areas
Rapid or slow uterine growth. The uterus develops slowly, leading to fetal failure and asphyxia after childbirth.
These are the 4 most important milestones of pregnancy ultrasound during pregnancy. From 28 to 38 weeks of pregnancy, pregnant mothers should have an ultrasound every 4 weeks to determine the fetal position, prognostic weight during labor, detect signs of impaired placenta function, risk of fetal development delay and Abnormalities appear in the later stages of pregnancy.
After 38 weeks, mothers should have an ultrasound once a week to monitor the weight, amount of amniotic fluid and placenta. From this point on, amniotic fluid can decrease very quickly.
If the fetus is 40 weeks old and there are no signs of labor, mothers need to be ultrasound combined with obstetric monitoring every 2-3 days as directed by the doctor.
In the case of mothers with gestational diabetes , your doctor may apply Doppler ultrasound in the final weeks of pregnancy to measure blood flow and blood pressure, determine if your baby is getting enough blood.
In conclusion
During pregnancy, mothers can maintain ultrasound ultrasound every 4-5 weeks / time or more depending on the instructions of medical experts, but pregnant mothers need to remember and not ignore important fetal ultrasound milestones mentioned above. In addition to regular check-ups, living, nutrition and rest are also essential for a healthy pregnancy.
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