How much can an ultrasound do during pregnancy? Does ultrasound affect the development of the fetus?

During pregnancy, the health status of a woman and her developing baby is constantly monitored. To help doctors, modern science has invented many different devices, one of the key places in prenatal diagnosis is ultrasound. Most patients undergo this study for various reasons. It allows you to diagnose the presence of diseases or pathologies of various organs, to check the condition of blood vessels. When a woman finds out about her interesting situation, then one of the questions that may worry her before the study is how much ultrasound can be done during pregnancy. As a rule, this is caused by concerns about possible harm to the baby.

Why are they sent for ultrasound?

critical periods of pregnancy




The easiest way to look inside the human body is to conduct an ultrasound scan. In real time, you can see what is currently happening with the developing embryo. If a woman just found out that she would become a mother (for example, donated blood to determine the level of hCG or did an express test to determine pregnancy), then the next step, as a rule, is an ultrasound examination. This raises the question of when do the first ultrasound during pregnancy. Doctors recommend refraining from conducting frequent studies in the first trimester. This is justified by the fact that in the first months the embryo is not yet protected by the placenta and any pressure or exposure to the uterine body from the outside can provoke a tone and contractile function. As a result, there is a threat to gestation.





If there are complaints of pain in the lower abdomen, brown discharge, the doctor may recommend an unscheduled ultrasound to eliminate the risk of miscarriage or ectopic pregnancy.

Who prescribes an ultrasound study

You can get a referral from a gynecologist who observes the woman. If the pregnant woman feels well and has no complaints, the first ultrasound during pregnancy is done when the critical period has passed. This is usually the end of the first trimester. However, you can visit a private medical center that provides services of ultrasound specialists from without a special direction. Such a study is paid, by appointment. Additional preparation may be required if ultrasound is performed using a transabdominal transducer.

Frequency

Doctors have their own regulations regarding how much ultrasound can be done during pregnancy. It is believed that with its normal course, a more frequent visit to a specialist is not necessary. This has its own rational grain. Any pressure or invasion of the pregnant woman can provoke a muscle spasm. However, modern research methods can minimize this risk and at the same time get maximum information about how the child develops inside the womb.

So, the woman receives the first direction for ultrasound for a period of 10-12 weeks. This period was chosen for a reason, since the most dangerous period is already behind. By this time, it becomes known whether the fetus has a heartbeat, how it is located (ectopic pregnancy is excluded).









First screening

at what period of pregnancy do the second ultrasound




As a rule, in the first month of pregnancy, the woman does not yet realize that she is in position. The exception is those who plan and control their cycle and changes in the body (for example, using tests, maintaining a basal temperature graph). The main thing that shows ultrasound during pregnancy for a period of 2-6 weeks is the presence of a fetal egg in the body of the uterus, the functioning of the corpus luteum. At the seventh week of gestation, a specialist can diagnose his heartbeat. This is a key point that justifies the feasibility of conducting the study before the date of the first screening.

Types of ultrasound

ultrasound




Before you sign up for an ultrasound, you must wait out the so-called critical period of pregnancy. This is especially important when visiting a specialist in the first trimester. The term depends on how the study will be conducted. Thanks to the development of the medical industry, a specialist can use a sensor during the session to avoid excessive pressure on the stomach.

A few years ago there was only one sensor - transabdominal. He allowed the study through the stomach. With the advent of the transvaginal sensor, even in critical periods of pregnancy, the study can be carried out without harm to the developing fetus. It is worth considering separately each type of ultrasound examination.

Transvaginal ultrasound

Does ultrasound affect fetal development




This is the most modern and progressive way to diagnose the health status of the female reproductive system. During pregnancy, this type of ultrasound allows a woman to avoid such an unpleasant moment as preparation. She does not need to fill up the bladder before the test. It is proved that in this way the diagnosis can be carried out as many times as necessary. There are questions about whether it is not harmful to do ultrasound in the early stages using a transvaginal sensor. Experts convince that not, if you adhere to the doctor’s recommendations. Ultrasonic waves do not have any negative effect on the fetus. However, for such a study, you need to get a doctor’s direction and you should not do it more often than it should.

Transabdominal examination

Is it harmful to do ultrasound in the early stages




More common for many ultrasound, which is carried out through the stomach. Modern technology allows you to get 3D - and even 4D-image of high definition. In the first trimester of pregnancy, a certain preparation is required before the study. A woman should drink about a liter of water to fill her bladder. Thus, the image obtained on the screen will be more informative and clear. If a woman follows the doctor’s recommendations, then the first visit to the ultrasound room will be at the end of the first trimester, when the critical period has passed. In the second and third trimester, additional training is not required.

In some cases, the question arises of how much ultrasound can be done during pregnancy using a transabdominal sensor. Experts recommend adhering to the schedule for prenatal diagnosis (screening). It is advisable not earlier than the second trimester, when the placenta begins to function normally, protecting the fetus from external stimuli. During an ultrasound using a transabdominal sensor, a specialist has to conduct them through the abdomen, which can lead to uterine tone.

Doppler

ultrasound chart during pregnancy




Check the blood circulation in the heart and blood vessels of the fetus using a special Doppler sensor. This study is carried out only according to the doctor’s testimony. Therefore, only a gynecologist observing a woman can answer the question of how much ultrasound can be done during pregnancy in this way. Since this diagnosis for the fetus is completely harmless, you should not worry about his health. However, it can reveal internal changes in the work of the heart and blood vessels.

If the child is lagging behind in development, then most likely he lacks nutrients or oxygen. The most alarming moment when the reason lies in the development of congenital malformations. With the help of Doppler, it is possible to identify diseases at the initial stage and take the necessary actions to eliminate them in time. In this case, a control ultrasound scan may be recommended in order to compare the data and establish the effectiveness of the treatment.

Is it harmful to the baby?

It is important to understand that the goal of any prenatal diagnosis at an early stage is to identify the risk of developing a pathology that can adversely affect the course of pregnancy. Questions that arise for a future mother regarding whether ultrasound affects the development of the fetus, and if so, how, are completely natural and normal. We can say that this is how the maternal instinct works for a woman who is worried about the well-being of her baby. However, many years of experience show that fears about ultrasound are completely vain. The procedure most often does not take so much time, but it allows you to get all the information regarding the development and health status of the fetus.

Contraindications

Any study has its own set of conditions for the appointment. Therefore, situations may arise when it is necessary to adhere to the ultrasound schedule. During pregnancy, one has to avoid amateur performances, even if curiosity bursts or emotions do not give rest. It is worthwhile to refrain from visiting a specialist who conducts an ultrasound examination, if a woman feels bad, there are spotting. It is necessary to consult a doctor before making an appointment with an ultrasound scan.

Otherwise, there are no direct contraindications in order to pass the study. In extreme cases, doctors do not oppose those who are very worried and insist on conducting an unscheduled diagnosis during pregnancy.

Second and third screening

when do the first ultrasound during pregnancy




It is difficult to imagine modern diagnostics without an ultrasound scan. After the pregnancy has been established and confirmed at the first screening, it is recommended that the pregnant woman wait for the next. This may raise the question of how long a pregnancy does a second ultrasound. Doctors recommend waiting for the 22nd week. By this time, you can see the baby's gender, take the necessary measurements of his body, the amount of amniotic fluid.

A second screening is necessary to identify risks and pathologies associated with the development of the fetus, the functioning of the placenta. Since the procedure is completely safe and painless, you should not worry about how the study affects the child. Movement of the sensor across the stomach can not harm him in any way, since he is surrounded by amniotic fluid.

At the third screening, the doctor can identify the degree of maturity of the lungs, evaluate the uteroplacental blood flow, measure the baby. If there are congenital malformations, then at this time (32-36 weeks) they are already quite clearly noticeable. For the doctor and future parents, this is an occasion in order to choose the right tactics for managing childbirth, as well as taking the necessary measures after the birth of the baby. In the normal course of pregnancy, the third screening (including ultrasound) is final in terms of prenatal diagnosis. Therefore, it is worth noting that an experienced gynecologist does not recommend an ultrasound more than three times during the entire pregnancy.




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