Ultrasound

Ultrasounds

Ultrasounds may sound like something either dangerous or scary if you’ve never had one before, or if you’re pregnant for the first time and being a little overcautious during pregnancy. Ultrasounds are, in fact, perfectly safe, routine examination tools that help you and your doctor gather important information about your baby and the viability of your pregnancy. Ultrasounds provide a wealth of information, such as the size of the fetus, the rate of heartbeat, position in the womb, gender, and more. With this information, you and your doctor can determine if your baby will be born healthy or not. If fetal health problems are noted during baby ultrasounds, doctors can often diagnose potentially life-threatening conditions before birth and take appropriate measures to ensure that your baby is born as healthily as possible.

Pregnancy Ultrasounds from Inside and Out

You may also be confused about the differences between baby ultrasounds. There are essentially two kinds, vaginal ultrasounds and abdominal ultrasounds. While they may be much more invasive than abdominal ultrasounds, vaginal ultrasounds are often used earlier in pregnancy when the fetus is smaller and may be less visible in an external ultrasound. High risk pregnancies, a history of miscarriage or bleeding during the first trimester of pregnancy may make a vaginal ultrasound necessary. Abdominal ultrasounds simply view the baby from the outside of the mother’s womb, by exposing her stomach and essentially capturing an image of the baby. To find out which type of ultrasound or when is the right time to begin ultrasounds, consult your doctor or health care professional.

5/29/2007 11:15:53 AM