Ultrasound in Pregnancy

Definition

The most well known application of

ultrasound is its use insonographyto
produce pictures of fetuses in the
human womb.

Types of Ultrasound

Conventional ultrasound displays the

images in thin, flat sections of the
body. Advancements in ultrasound
technology include three-dimensional
(3-D) ultrasound that formats the
sound wave data into 3-D images.
Four-dimensional (4-D) ultrasound is
3-D ultrasound in motion.

Doppler Ultrasound

Doppler ultrasoundis a special ultrasound technique that

evaluates blood flow through a blood vessel, including the body's
major arteries and veins in the abdomen, arms, legs and neck.
There are three types of Doppler ultrasound:
Color Doppleruses a computer to convert Doppler
measurements into an array of colors to visualize the speed and
direction of blood flow through a blood vessel.
Power Doppleris a newer technique that is more sensitive than
color Doppler and capable of providing greater detail of blood
flow, especially when blood flow is little or minimal. Power
Doppler, however, does not help the radiologist determine the
direction of blood flow, which may be important in some
situations.
Spectral Doppler. Instead of displaying Doppler measurements
visually, Spectral Doppler displays blood flow measurements
graphically, in terms of the distance traveled per unit of time.

Ultrasound in the First

Trimester

Advantages of Using
Ultrasound in First Trimestre

Check your babys heartbeat

Show single or multiple pregnancies
Date your pregnancy by measuring the baby
and measure the babys growth over a several
scans
Check for causes of bleeding
Check for ectopic pregnancy
Examine the baby and its organs
Potentially reveal the babys gende

Five Week Pregnant

Ultrasound

About one week after your missed period, your pregnancy will be visible on
ultrasound. At this point, it is a small fluid collection called a gestational
sac. It is just 2/10 of an inch in diameter and lies within the lining of the
uterus known as the deciduas. (See Below.) Even though the baby is still
too small to see, this first visual proof of the developing pregnancy is very
exciting.

Six Week Pregnant

Ultrasound

A week later, the baby is finally visible on ultrasound. (See Below.) At this
point, it appears as a tiny oval blip approximately a tenth of an inch in
length (about the width of a sunflower seed). The regular flicker of a

heartbeat is first visible on the screen

Nine Weeks Pregnant

Ultrasound

At nine weeks, your baby will be 9/10 of an inch in lengthabout

the size of a grape. The baby is also quite active at this stage, but
you won't be able to feel any movements for at least 10 more

weeks

Ten Weeks Pregnant

Ultrasound

By week 10, all of your baby's vital organs have been formed and are starting to work
together.
As external changes such as the separation of fingers and toes and the
disappearance of the tail takes place, internal developments are taking place too.
Tooth buds form inside the mouth, and if you're having a boy, his testes will begin
producing the male hormone testosterone.
Congenital abnormalities are unlikely to develop after week 10. This also marks the
end of the embryonic period in general, the embryo now has a distinctly human
appearance and starting next week your baby will officially be considered a fetus

Eleven Week Pregnant

Ultrasound

Currently, at 17 weeks pregnant,

your baby is approximately 4.5
5.5 long, and weighs in at 4-5
ounces.

Twelve Week Pregnant

Ultrasound

Your baby's brain continues to develop, and tiny fingernails and toenails start to form.
Vocal cords are formed this week, which is the last of your first trimester.
Your baby's kidneys are functioning! After swallowing amniotic fluid, your baby will
now be able to pass it out of the body as urine. And the intestines will make their way
into the abdomen, since there is room for them now.

Thirteen Weeks Pregnant

Ultrasound

By 13 weeks, the baby is three inches long, measured from the top
of the head to the bottom of the rump. (About the size of a small
peach.) This represents a 30-fold increase in length in the sevenweek interval from six to 13 weeks gestation.

Fourteen Week Pregnant

Ultrasound

Its a Boy

Fourteen Weeks Pregnant

Ultrasound

Its a girl

Sixteen Weeks Pregnant

Ultrasound

Your baby now weighs about 3.9 ounces (110 grams) and measures about
4.7 inches (12 cm) in length from crown to rump. Your baby can hold his or
her head erect, and the development of facial muscles allows for a variety
of expressions, such as squinting and frowning.

Twenty Weeks Pregnant

Ultrasound

You're halfway there! Twenty weeks into your pregnancy, your baby has grown
significantly from that first dividing cell and now weighs about 11 ounces (312 grams)
and measures about 6.3 inches (16 cm) from crown to rump. The baby is taking up
increasing room in your uterus, and continued growth will put pressure on your lungs,
stomach, bladder, and kidneys.
Under the vernix caseosa (a protective, waxy coating), your baby's skin is thickening
and developing layers. Hair and nail growth continue.

Thirty-two Weeks Pregnant

Ultrasound

The final touches are being placed on your baby masterpiece. Eyelashes, eyebrows,
and the hair on your baby's head are evident. The lanug o hair that has covered your
baby since the beginning of the second trimester is falling off, although some may
remain on the shoulders and back at birth.
At about 4 pounds (1,800 grams) and 11.4 inches (29 cm) from crown to rump, your
baby would
have an excellent chance of survival outside the womb if you delivered now

Thirty-six Weeks Pregnant

Ultrasound

The wrinkly, tiny fetus you may have seen on earlier ultrasounds has given way to an almost plump baby.
There is fat on your babys cheeks, and powerful sucking muscles also contribute to your baby's full face.
Your baby now weighs a little under 6 pounds (2,721 grams).

The bones that make up your babys skull can move relative to one another and overlap each other while
your babys head is inside your pelvis. This phenomenon is called molding, and it helps the baby pass
through the birth canal. Don't be surprised if your baby arrives with a pointy or misshapen head! After a
few hours or days, your baby's head will be back to a rounded shape .

References
http://www.justthefactsbaby.com
http://www.medicinenet.com/fetal_de
velopment_pictures_slideshow/article
.htm
http://kidshealth.org
www.google.com