An Overview of Fetal Health Scan Reading

Your gynecologist may advise you to undergo several ultrasound scans during your pregnancy. One of these scans is the fetal health scan in Reading. This scan is used to determine the development along with the growth of your baby.

It also allows the doctor to evaluate any abnormalities or problems that may arise because of various complications. Now you might ask that what a fetal ultrasound is. Fetal ultrasound is a medical procedure that uses sound waves for demonstrating the real images of the fetus present inside your uterus.

Every pregnant woman needs to undergo an ultrasound, such as one during the first trimester, the other in the second trimester. The ultrasound during the first trimester also lets your healthcare provider know the details about your pregnancy, such as how long you are pregnant.

The next ultrasound you need to undergo is during your second trimester. Though it is dependent upon how well you respond during your first trimester. If you don’t show any complications during this period, you can perform a second ultrasound scan. During this scan, you can see the anatomy details of your baby. However, if something negative crops up, your doctor may advise you to follow-ultrasound or with an MRI.

What are the Types of Fetal Ultrasound Scans?

Transabdominal Ultrasound Scan

This is carried out by putting a gel on your stomach and then moving the transducer slowly over your tummy region.

Transvaginal Ultrasound Scan

This type of ultrasound is commonly used during the early stages of your pregnancy. In this ultrasound process, the sonographer places a wand-like device on your vagina for sending the sound waves to your uterus. These come back in the form of reflections that the sonographer records into the monitor to show you. However, this form of ultrasound can only be used when the transabdominal scan can’t provide positive results or when it is unclear.

What is the Need of a Fetal Health Scan in Reading?

The need for this kind of ultrasound are as follows:

To determine multiple fetuses

One of the common reasons to perform this scan is to find the number of fetuses present inside your womb. This is done only when your gynecologist might doubt the presence of more than one baby.

Growth of the Baby

Another reason to undergo an ultrasound is to find out the correct growth of your baby. It is also used to measure your baby’s heart rate, movement, and breathing.

Finding Birth Defects

An ultrasound also reveals various birth defects to your baby that are growing inside your womb.