Pregnancies are crucial to promoting fetal development before birth. The best way to know how a woman’s pregnancy progresses is through prenatal visits to the hospital. Leela K Patel M.D. may recommend imaging tests, for example, an ultrasound that produces high-frequency sound waves to create images of the underlying fetus and mother’s placenta. However, ultrasounds are only effective in the second trimester of a woman’s pregnancy to get meaningful information from an image since a fetus would be more prominent and easier to see. If you want to receive important diagnostic information about your unborn child, an ultrasound is the best test to help you confirm congenital abnormalities and monitor fetal growth and position.
It would be best for women to receive an ultrasound test to help their physician understand that pregnancy is proceeding as it should. Ultrasound images are usually part of routine prenatal examinations and should begin from weeks 18 and 20 of pregnancy, the second trimester. It may be harmless to undergo an ultrasound during the first trimester of pregnancy. However, significant information is available during the second trimester, and since the fetus is big enough, there are more benefits to gain from getting an ultrasound.
It is an exciting process to get an ultrasound. If anything, the process allows parents to have the baby’s first image. Moreover, parents can leverage a crucial diagnostic function after getting an ultrasound because a physician may use the resulting information on the image to understand the health status and thus prevent any future complications by solving any present abnormalities.
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A brief history of ultrasound
Christian Doppler initiated the development of ultrasound imaging during the Mid-1800s. The Austrian physicist and mathematician were sure that the speed of a sound wave depended on the relative speed of the source and observer. Later in 1877, another mathematician called Lord Rayleigh postulated in a publishing titled The Theory of Sound that sound waves are a mathematical equation, thus promoting any proceeding practical work. In 1912, the most common application of ultrasound technology was in submarine detection, especially during Works War I. The adaptation of ultrasound in diagnosing medical began in the mid-1950s with Dr. Ian Donald and other U.S. and Japanese physicians. The technological advancements during the 1960s sparked the development of sophisticated imaging machines like real-time scanners that enhanced diagnosis using ultrasound.
What are the diagnostic uses of ultrasound?
An ultrasound is a woman’s best choice to ensure healthy uterine development. The basic level diagnostic uses of ultrasound include:
- Confirm pregnancy
- Determine gestational age
- Check for multiple pregnancies
- Detect any issues with the placenta
- Monitor fetal position
- Check for congenital anomalies.
- Monitor fetal growth.
- Monitor the level of amniotic fluid
It would be best to undergo an ultrasound if you have any concerns about your pregnancy. An ultrasound will help your doctor diagnose any underlying issues associated with your pregnancy. Physicians recommend an early ultrasound upon the beginning of the second trimester to promote any treatment efficacy that night to preserve the integrity of a pregnancy. Contact Patel & Patel, M. D., Inc. to schedule an ultrasound that will confirm the health and safety of your pregnancy.
