What is an obstetric ultrasound scan?
In the 70s, ultrasound scanning was introduced, to image the foetus growing inside the uterus. Ultrasound scans literally threw new light on the growing foetus, giving us a glimpse into the hitherto hidden world of the foetus. Ultrasound scan is a safe, non-invasive, accurate and cost-effective investigation in a pregnancy. It has increasingly become an indispensable obstetric tool and plays an important part in the care of every pregnant woman. The role of ultrasound scanning in pregnancy Confirmation of pregnancy Ultrasound can confirm a pregnancy by five weeks from the last period. By six weeks of pregnancy a heartbeat can be confirmed. Diagnosing a miscarriage When there is vaginal bleeding in early pregnancy, ultrasound examination is very important in confirming the viability of the foetus. If the heartbeat is identified, the chance that the baby will go to term is almost 95 per cent. In case the pregnancy is not growing well, the gestational sac may be irregular and the foetus m
