Ultrasound in Pregnancy: Procedure, Benefits & Risks

For women who have struggled with infertility or miscarriages, having an ultrasound done can  provide a sense of comfort and relief. Women under a private health care provider, might have an ultrasound during every check up. As lovely as it is to see your unborn baby moving around in your womb, we need to ask whether it is safe or not.

Types & benefits of an ultrasound

During pregnancy, you are required to have at least 2 ultrasounds, one at around 12 and 20 weeks.  It’s also common to do an extra scan very early, to ‘date’ the pregnancy, and give an estimated date of delivery (EDD).

Nuchal translucency ultrasound happens between 11-14 weeks. It is done to:

• Check that your baby is in the right place in your uterus
• Discover if there is more than one baby
• Look at developmental growth
• Perform the nuchal translucency test (to see if your baby is at risk of chromosomal conditions such as Down syndrome).

Anomaly ultrasound (known as a mid-pregnancy scan) happens between 18-20 weeks. It is done to:

• Look at your baby’s body and organs in detail
• Check where the placenta is
• Check for any obvious development or growth problems, such as heart defects
• Find out your baby’s gender

How an ultrasound is performed

It is performed by a  sonographer (radiographers, who has specialized training in sonography and are trained in the procedures, risks, and interpretation of sonography.). The person will put some gel on your stomach which helps to send ultrasound waves. A hand-held device called a transducer is placed directly on your belly and pressed while being moved. This procedure is painless, but uncomfortable, for mothers who are required to have a full bladder, based on how young the pregnancy is.

The transducer emits ultrasound waves which pass into your body and bounce off your baby, creating images that are shown. The sonographer will interpret images to determine how your baby is growing and developing. Occasionally, if it is difficult to get a clear image of the baby, the sonographer will suggest a vaginal ultrasound. The transducer used in vaginal scans is narrow, and is lubricated with gel so that it can be inserted easily. The transducer doesn’t need to be inserted deeply, and it shouldn’t cause you any pain or discomfort.

Risks of an ultrasound

The whole procedure of an ultrasound introduces energy into the body. This can heat body tissue, and can also produce small pockets of gas in body tissue or fluids (cavitation). There is currently no recent study that shows what the long-term consequences of these effects might be for a mother and her unborn baby.

The American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine only recommends that ultrasound be used only by trained health care providers, for specific diagnostic purposes, and exposure time should be limited as much as possible.