What is it?

An ultrasound is a diagnostic test that provides images of your baby through the use of sound waves.

There are several types of ultrasounds available:

• Standard Ultrasound

This makes a two dimensional image and can give your health care provider information about your pregnancy. It can help them determine gestational age, development, and other information about your pregnancy. This type of ultrasound generally takes about 20 minutes to complete.

• Advanced Ultrasound or Targeted Ultrasound

An advanced ultrasound may be used to investigate a possible abnormality that was discovered during the triple test or standard ultrasound. This test uses more advanced equipment and takes longer to complete, from 30 minutes to a few hours.

If you have a high-risk pregnancy, your health care provider may recommend an advanced ultrasound. Advanced ultrasound may be used to diagnose neural tube defects, for which it is has a 95 percent accuracy.

• Transvaginal ultrasound

Transvaginal ultrasound uses a slim device like a wand that is inserted into the vagina to gather images. During early pregnancy, transvaginal ultrasound may provide a clearer image of your baby than a standard ultrasound. This is because the ultrasound device is able to get closer to your uterus and fallopian tubes via the vagina.

• Three Dimensional (3-D) ultrasound

Three dimensional ultrasound is a newer form of ultrasound which allows you to see details that are more similar to a photograph. Not all medical centers offer this type of ultrasound.

• Doppler ultrasound

Doppler ultrasounds can be used to measure blood flow and the speed and direction that blood circulates. In a situation where the pregnant woman has high blood pressure, a Doppler ultrasound can help diagnose a restriction in blood flow to the baby or the placenta.

• Fetal Echocardiography

This type of ultrasound gives a detailed image of your baby’s heart in order to investigate a possible congenital heart defect.

When is it performed?

An ultrasound can be done at any time during the pregnancy. Most healthcare providers will order an ultrasound some time between the weeks 18 and 20.

What Can the Results Tell You?

Ultrasounds can confirm that you are pregnant, and help estimate the gestational age of your baby. They can also confirm the presence of twins or multiples.

Ultrasounds can help assess your baby’s health, growth, development, movement, and heart rate. They can help diagnose abnormalities such as spina bifida, ectopic pregnancy, development of the placenta, and confirm a miscarriage.

Ultrasounds can sometimes help determine the sex of your baby.

What are the Risks?

Ultrasound uses, sound waves, not radiation to examine your baby. Research shows that this is a safe procedure.

How Accurate is an Ultrasound?

Ultrasound cannot diagnose all problems and fetal abnormalities. It is possible that ultrasound may diagnose false negatives (indicating there is not a problem when there is one) or false positives (indicating there is a problem when there isn‘t one). If your health care provider suspects an abnormality, they may recommend another procedure in conjunction with an ultrasound, such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling.