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What is an ultrasound scan used for?

Depending on your stage of pregnancy, scans can:


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  • Check that your baby has a heartbeat.
  • Say whether you're pregnant with one baby or twins or more.
  • Detect an ectopic pregnancy, where the embryo implants outside the womb, usually in the fallopian tube.
  • Find out the cause of any bleeding you may be having.
  • Accurately date your pregnancy by measuring your baby.
  • Assess your baby's risk of Down's syndrome by measuring fluid at the back of your baby’s neck at 11 weeks plus two days to 14 weeks plus one day (nuchal translucency (NT) scan).
  • Find out why a blood screening test was abnormal.
  • Help with diagnostic tests, such as CVS or amniocentesis, by showing the position of the baby and placenta.
  • Examine your baby to see if all his organs are normal.
  • Diagnose most abnormalities, such as spina bifida.
  • Assess the amount of amniotic fluid you have and find out where the placenta lies.
  • Measure your baby's rate of growth over several scans.


What can be seen on an early scan?

At five weeks (three weeks after conception)
The ultrasound doctor may see a small gestation (pregnancy) sac that looks like a black hole because it is filled with fluid. She will be able to identify where the sac has implanted in your uterus to rule out an ectopic pregnancy. She may not see anything else yet, so will probably ask you to come back for another scan in one or two weeks.


At six weeks (four weeks after conception)
The yolk sac may be seen as a small white circle in the gestation sac. The yolk sac is attached to the embryo and contains nutrients to feed it while it is developing. The crown to rump (head to bottom) length of embryo is measured to calculate your due date.


At seven weeks
A tiny embryo with a heartbeat can usually be heard.


At eight weeks
The developing embryo measures about 1cm to 2cm and should now be easier to see on the scan. It will grow very quickly, doubling in size every couple of weeks.


At 10 weeks
Your baby measures 3cm and the heartbeat can be seen and heard. In the next few weeks you will be due for an early morphology scan (NT scan).


At 12 weeks
At 12 your baby measures 5cm to 6cm from crown to rump. Between 11 and 13 weeks, and preferably at 12 weeks, you will probably have a nuchal translucency scan. This scan estimates the risk of Down's syndrome and other chromosomal or structural abnormalities.


The scan is also used to check:


  • position of the placenta
  • thickness of NT (Nuchal Translucency)
  • presence or absence of NB (Nasal Bone) and length of the nasal bone
  • stomach and urinary bladder
  • any problems with fetal spine and fetal limbs
  • any fetal abdominal wall defects
  • blood circulation to the mother's uterus

The doctor may also check your cervix at this time.

In the first trimester, your baby is measured from head to bottom. This is called the Crown Rump Length (CRL). The CRL is very accurate in the first trimester, but after 13 weeks your baby can curl up and stretch out, so measuring the length becomes more difficult. The width of the head (biparietal diameter or BPD) then becomes the best way to measure your baby.



What we can't do: We can't do pre-natal sex determination (Boy or Girl before birth). It is a punishable act. We can't offer you any medical advices. We can't sell you anything. We can't supply contact details for manufacturers, hospitals, doctors or clinics.