Ultrasound is a scan that uses high frequency sound waves to study internal body structures. The sound waves are emitted from a vibrating crystal in a handheld scanner. The reflected sound waves or ‘echoes’ are then translated into a grainy, two-dimensional (or sometimes three-dimensional) image on a monitor.
Ultrasound is used during pregnancy to check the baby’s development and to help pick up any abnormalities such as Down syndrome. Since the procedure can’t produce high quality images, any suspected abnormalities need to be confirmed with other tests. The ultrasound scan isn’t 100 per cent accurate, but the advantages of the test are that it’s non-invasive, painless and safe for both mother and unborn baby.
Transabdominal ultrasound - sound waves pass very well through water. The sonographer uses your full bladder as a ‘porthole’ to your uterus, so you will have to drink plenty of water before the test. You lie down on an examination table or bed. Gel is applied to your abdomen (to provide better contact between your skin and the scanner) and the sonographer moves the scanner in various positions. Pictures are sent instantly to a nearby monitor. The sonographer may have to push quite firmly at times in order to see the deeper structures.
Vaginal ultrasound - in some cases, a transabdominal ultrasound can’t produce clear enough pictures. There may be too much air in your bowel, for instance, and air is a poor conductor of sound waves. In these cases, a slender scanner is inserted into your vagina.
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