Ultrasounds have become a common way for pregnant women to monitor the health of their unborn child in Newport Beach, California. But what are they, and what do they do? An ultrasound is a diagnostic imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to create pictures of the inside of the body. Ultrasounds are most commonly used during pregnancies to check on the baby’s development and look for potential problems. Below are five benefits of visiting a fertility clinic in Newport Beach, CA.
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Early Detection of Problems
Ultrasound in pregnancy can be used to check for congenital disabilities or abnormalities in the fetus, which allows treatment to begin early on. A standard prenatal procedure is a level two ultrasound (commonly known as an anomaly scan) between 18 and 20 weeks of gestation that typically includes checking for club foot, cleft lip/palate, brain abnormalities, and abdominal wall defects.
In addition, a scan at this time will check the number of fluids surrounding the baby and provide a better estimate for when you are due. The results from this scan allow your doctor to look for signs of problems with your baby’s heart or brain.
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Monitoring the Growth and Development of the Baby
In addition to detecting potential problems, your doctor can also use an ultrasound to monitor your baby’s development. This is especially useful when seeing a high-risk obstetrician for prenatal care. Early in pregnancy, a woman’s belly is very small, and it can be difficult for a doctor to tell what is going on inside using just a stethoscope. Therefore, ultrasounds are used to measure the size of your baby and the amount of amniotic fluid surrounding it.
Ultrasounds can also provide valuable information about how much your baby is growing by measuring its development over time. For example, at 32 weeks gestation, a fetus will be between 30 and 33 centimeters long. Ultrasound can also determine the sex of your baby.
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Prevents Miscarriage
Ultrasounds are also used to check for signs of a miscarriage. Early in pregnancy, women often experience what they think is a period. After several episodes, most women become concerned and seek help. Ultrasound can determine if the bleeding is due to something benign like an early miscarriage or something more severe like placenta previa. The placenta lies low in the uterus and covers part of the cervix.
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Monitoring Fetal Health During Labor
Ultrasounds can monitor fetal health during labor, allowing early detection of any problems that might require medical intervention. This is especially helpful in high-risk pregnancies where there is a possibility that babies need help breathing after they are born. If there is a concern, an ultrasound can determine if the baby has enough fluid surrounding it to breathe.
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Brings Peace of Mind
During pregnancy, many women are concerned about the health of their developing children. Ultrasounds are a way to detect any potential problems early on and provide peace of mind for moms-to-be throughout the entire nine months. However, ultrasounds do have limitations since they don’t always show everything. For example, some issues may not become detectable until after 26 weeks.
Pregnancy ultrasounds are an essential way to monitor a baby’s health during pregnancy. If you’re pregnant, it’s always advisable to get a scan within your first trimester so that any potential problems can be detectable early on. Ultrasound scans also allow for monitoring fetal development and growth over time and provide valuable information about the sex of the child.