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SugarTown Babies
Information Pages
Ultrasound scans
Having an ultrasound scan in early pregnancy can be
exciting;after all,you may be able to ‘see’ your baby for
the first time. Doctors and midwives use ultrasound
scans to help assess the progress of the pregnancy and to
identify whether there are any possible problems.
It is important that you understand that if you have a scan and a potential problem is found you may have to make some difficult decisions.
Most pregnant women are offered one but the research shows that your pregnancy will be just as safe if you do not have one.
There are four main reasons why scans are used in early pregnancy.
- To check when your baby is due.
- To see if there is anything wrong with the way your baby is developing.
- To check the position of the placenta (or after).
- To see if you are expecting twins,triplets or more.
When is your baby really due?Your baby’s body is measured during a scan.This means that the person doing the scan can work out when the baby is likely to be born (the due date).This is considered to be more accurate than using a calendar and the date of your last period.
One in five women have their due dates changed after their scans – in most cases the date is put later.This is useful,especially if you are unsure of your dates. It means blood tests can be interpreted more accurately. It could also help doctors know how many weeks old your baby is if you go into labour early. It can also mean that you are less likely to be offered an induction of labour because your pregnancy is thought to have gone past your due date.
Scans also aid in confirming whether your baby is well. Scans can often pick up early signs that a baby is not developing properly. If the signs suggest the possibility of a problem with the baby’s chromosomes (like Down’s syndrome), you will thenusually be offered other tests before deciding whether to go on with the pregnancy or not. However,scans are not perfect and may show a very minor problem or something which may get better on its own – so they can make you worry for nothing.
Scans do not pick up everything; some problems are missed. Only around half of major malformations are picked up on scans. For conditions like spina bifida (a problem with the baby’s spine) detection rates are higher than this; for heart problems, detection rates are lower.
The location of the placenta is another reason a scan can be useful. A ‘low’placenta can cause problems towards the end of pregnancy. It could block the baby’s passage out of the womb and more importantly cause serious bleeding. Often the detection of a "low lying" placenta will herald a repeated scan at 36 weeks to determine whether the developing womb has enabled the placenta to 'move' out of the way.
For the few women who do have a placenta that remains too low,
finding the problem early may be safer.
Having a scan means you will know sooner if you are expecting
twins or triplets or even more!
But even without a scan,most twins and triplets are detected before
they are born.
Some women also prefer to know the gender of the unborn baby, a
scan without any absolute gaurantees can be used for this purpose.
Are there any risks to having a scan?
The actual procedure of having an ultrasound scan is easy,painless,
and safe for the woman. However,women can feel anxious about the
scan and what may be found.
It is thought to be safe for the baby, but so far scientists haven’t the
proof to say definitely that it is.
Recent research found that school children who had been scanned
before they were born had similar growth, sight, hearing and school
performance as other school children.
It seems certain that scans do not cause any severe defects,but more
studies need to be done before doctors can rule out the possibility that
they could cause some kind of harm. For this reason some women choose to exercise their rights and decline an offered ultrasound. As with most things it is an individual choice.
