One of the most popular and effective methods of prevention and perinatal diagnostics for today is ultrasound. Practically all medical institutions that observe pregnant women use this method of diagnosis. With the help of ultrasound, pregnant women can see deviations in the development of the fetus. If the forecasts of doctors are confirmed, that there are pathologies, in the future it will be easier to properly deliver and plan the treatment of the baby.
Characteristics of the types of ultrasound in pregnancy
There are following types of ultrasound during pregnancy:
- Screening ultrasound is performed in order to see the conformity of the fetal size to the term. With their help, the pathology of the fetus is also determined;
- selective ultrasound is appointed by the doctor in the event that the pathology has already been identified and the condition of the fetus needs to be checked.
Early research helps to avoid many problems. For example, it is very difficult to diagnose an ectopic pregnancy on the first examinations of a gynecologist. The pregnancy test shows two strips, nausea manifests, as well as with normal pregnancy. And only by ultrasound of the uterus during pregnancy, the doctor can confirm whether the pregnancy is normal or ectopic. In most cases of ectopic fetal development, it is in the tube. Ultrasound with ectopic pregnancy is performed by the vaginal method.
In pregnancy, ultrasound of the cervix is performed to measure the length of the uterus, which should not be shortened. The outer and inner throats should be closed.
Many women distrust the internal ultrasound of the pelvis during pregnancy in the early stages. Transvaginal studies are absolutely safe. For them, there is no need to prepare especially, but they give the basic information about the condition of the uterus. There is also a transabdominal ultrasound in pregnancy. To do this, you must first drink one and a half liters of liquid 2 hours before the procedure.
In a multiple pregnancy, ultrasound is fundamentally important, as they help to prevent complications in a timely manner and to plan the process of childbirth itself. The study allows you to monitor the condition of babies, the functioning of the placenta.
During pregnancy the body of a woman undergoes a heavy load, and the health of the baby depends on the health of the woman in labor. Therefore it is necessary to make sure that the life of mother and child is not threatened. For this, in addition to standard studies, another ultrasound of the heart is performed during pregnancy, or as it is also called echocardiography. Often do ultrasound of the thyroid gland during pregnancy, so her hormones are of great importance for all types of embryo metabolism, for tissue laying. In addition to all the above types of studies, ultrasound of the mammary glands during pregnancy is possible. Diagnosis of the condition of the mammary glands in nursing mothers and pregnant women is also very important.
There is also the concept of dopplerography of pregnant women. This kind of ultrasound can characterize the blood flow in different organs of the baby. For example, in the brain, liver, umbilical cord, heart.
Influence of ultrasound on the mother and child
There is a well-established opinion that ultrasound can adversely affect the health of the fetus. But long-term experiments using this type of diagnosis show that ultrasound of pregnant women does not harm the embryo and does not affect DNA. It can cause a spontaneous contraction of the uterus. Ultrasound may serve as an irritant and as a consequence, hypertension of the uterus may manifest. American researchers published the results of their studies, in which they expressed the opinion that ultrasound can have only long-term consequences. And these consequences are so insignificant that they are invisible.