Pregnancy Ultrasounds - Reliable Pregnancy Test

Pregnancy ultrasounds are the most reliable pregnancy test apart from routine tests of the urine and blood that check several aspects of your growing pregnancy. At each prenatal visit, the doctor checks your abdomen to determine the position of the baby and its expected growth. Ultrasounds examination gives an accurate picture of the progress of the pregnancy. A sensible diet plan, exercise, abstaining from smoking and alcohol, and regular check-ups give your baby a healthy start in life. It gives instant results of a baby's growth with no risk of miscarriage.

What Is An Ultrasound?

Pregnancy ultrasounds are special but routine prenatal testing tool. Sound waves pass through the mother's abdomen to the fetus, then bounce back, and create a fetal image on an electronic monitor. It is basically a high frequency sound bouncing off human tissue, reflecting as darker or lighter image in form of dots on a video screen, depending on the density of tissue under scan. The denser tissue, such as bones, shows up as white or lighter image, while soft tissues appear darker and fluids appear as black.

Types Of Ultrasound Used During Pregnancy There are two types of pregnancy ultrasounds.

(a) Trans-vaginal ultrasound is done via vagina.
(b) Trans-abdominal ultrasound is done through the abdomen

A trans-vaginal ultrasound is used in first trimester of the pregnancy to see the cervix, uterus, gestational sac, embryo and other deep pelvic structures. It is done with a hand held probe, inserted into the vagina like a tampon. It generally takes just about 10 minutes and does not require a full bladder for accurate internal pictures.

A trans-abdominal pregnancy ultrasound is done in the second and third trimester of the pregnancy to provide a clear view of the fetus and the placenta. This approach requires a full bladder to help move intestines out of the way and distinguish the various fetal parts. A lubricating gel is applied to the abdomen; a probe is then placed over the gel and is moved across the abdomen to reveal an image of the baby on the screen. The image is often fuzzy and unclear and can be interpreted by an expert technician only. The whole procedure takes 20 to 30 minutes.

Advantages Of Pregnancy Ultrasounds

Ultrasound is a non-invasive procedure used to detect problems and measure growth of an embryo. It determines the gestational age of the baby and its development, suspected multiple pregnancies and fetal abnormalities, high risk pregnancies or fetal stress, position and condition of placenta, structural problems of the uterus, ovarian tumors/fibroids, ectopic pregnancy or any other abnormality. It also helps in assessing the fetal maturity and confirmation of the delivery date.

There are no recorded adverse effects of pregnancy ultrasounds except for its high cost. Yet it has a number of advantages and may be used judiciously to verify the health of a growing fetus.