Ultrasound diagnostic methods are constantly being improved. This is especially important when performing an ultrasound scan during pregnancy. This article will tell future mothers in more detail about the most modern ultrasound method called 4D.
What it is?
Doctors also call this type of examination "live" ultrasound. This latest method allows the specialists who perform it to see not a static image on the monitor of an ultrasound device, but a full-fledged volumetric image.
This type of examination is becoming more and more popular every day among future parents. Coming to the 4D ultrasound, dads and moms see their baby on the monitor, which usually moves or makes any movements with arms or legs. Such research leads future parents into a real delight.
It should be noted right away that their fruit does not experience such joy at this time.
Initially, this research method was not developed as an entertainment or exciting procedure. Scientists came up with it to identify difficult to diagnose defects intrauterine development. Also, with the help of a 4D study, it is possible to identify various heart defects, as well as disturbances in the work of the cardiovascular system of the fetus.
During the examination, the doctor examines the uterine cavity, with the fetus in it from various angles. The device processes the information received from the ultrasonic sensor and forms a three-dimensional image on the screen. This image is not static. Modern devices can simulate real movements that the fetus makes in the mother's womb when an ultrasound sensor is directed at it.
It should be noted that 4D ultrasound is not possible in all medical institutions. The ultrasound equipment used for these examinations is usually very expensive. It also requires some clinical experience and relevant education to work.
It is usually quite difficult to enroll in experienced specialists who conduct such studies, even in private medical centers.
When is it appointed?
Future mothers should remember that any ultrasound examinations, including 4D ones, should be carried out only for certain medical reasons. The normal course of pregnancy does not involve such a test at all.
This study is assigned gynecologist... Usually, it is recommended to perform 4D ultrasound for women with certain diseases of the internal genital organs or comorbidities. So, if the expectant mother has diseases of the cardiovascular system or there is a high risk of their development, then this study will be shown to her.
Doctors identify several of the most favorable periods of pregnancy in which it is better to carry out this test. These include time intervals from 20 to 24 and from 30 to 34 weeks intrauterine development of the unborn baby. Reviews of moms who have gone through the research data on such periods also confirm this. They note that they endured this procedure quite well without any discomfort or adverse effects.
In some situations, it is required to conduct a study on an expert class apparatus. This is usually necessary if a pregnant woman has some complex pathologies that are almost impossible to detect using conventional ultrasound diagnostic equipment.
Also, a study using expert-class equipment is required if the expectant mother is carrying several kids at once. Pregnancy that occurs after IVF can also become an indication for more accurate examination methods. Quite often, the use of expert ultrasound is resorted to in surrogacy.
How is it done?
The technique for conducting a 4D examination is somewhat different from a conventional ultrasound test. The first significant difference is the examination time. A conventional ultrasound scan usually takes 20 to 30 minutes. For a 4D study, a doctor can spend about an hour.
As a rule, the patient being examined lies on the couch on her back. Later in pregnancy, the examining doctor may ask her to roll over onto her left side.
In this position, the visualization of the uterus is significantly improved, since the pressure on it by the inferior vena cava decreases.
To obtain a high-quality image on the monitor, the patient's abdomen is lubricated with a special gel. This transparent adhesive is essential for better penetration and reflection of sound waves during examination. You should not be afraid of him. Its chemical composition absolutely harmless for both mom and her future baby. After carrying out this procedure, the remains of the gel from the abdomen can be removed with an ordinary paper napkin or handkerchief.
During the examination, the doctor changes the position of the ultrasound probe in different directions. This allows him to achieve a fairly clear visualization of all parts of the spine, skull on the monitor screen, and also to consider the vital organs of the baby.
Also, using 4D ultrasound, specialists can identify signs of various chromosomal and genetic diseases.
The study of fetal blood flow is also an important issue that interests doctors who monitor the development of an unborn baby in the mother's womb. With the help of a volumetric ultrasound, you can see the blood vessels feeding the fetus. Also, during the procedure, various pathologies present in the mother's body can be revealed.
It is also possible to evaluate the work of the baby's heart using this study. The uniqueness of this test is that it is possible to examine all structures of the heart, its valves, as well as coronary vessels. A careful examination of such anatomical structures and the identification of pathologies helps to timely identify various heart defects. Usually in this case, a second ultrasound is performed, which is performed in the first days after the baby is born.
Doctors note that 4D studies can also detect various disorders in the structure of the skeleton, as well as emerging neurological pathologies. These pathological conditions include hypoplasia, severe malformations of the fetal neural tube, as well as signs of skeletal underdevelopment.
The image, which is formed due to the reflection of sound waves of a certain frequency, appears on a special monitor. During the study, both the doctor and the expectant mother see him. In the third trimester of pregnancy, not only the active movements of the baby are visible when he sucks his finger or twists his leg, but also his facial expressions.
When pointing the ultrasound sensor at it, the child usually frowns or smiles.
The appearance of various emotions in a baby is immediately interpretable. So, the expectant mother believes that if the baby frowns, then he feels bad. It's not like that at all. Manifestation of emotions in the prenatal period of development - just a behavioral factor... A pregnant woman should not panic if she saw some kind of displeasure or pain on the face of her unborn child. The real emotional background will be formed in the baby after his birth.
A significant plus of this procedure is the ability to record images on various electronic media. Parents-to-be can get a video or photo of their baby on a special disc. Also, the picture can be printed directly in the ultrasound office. Usually, such a first photo of a baby causes tears of joy and genuine delight in future parents.
In some situations, unfortunately, you won't be able to get a high-quality photo or video. This happens quite often if a pregnant woman has signs of severe obesity. A large amount of subcutaneous fat disrupts the conduction of ultrasonic waves, which can lead to a distortion of the result obtained.
Previous surgeries on the uterus that resulted in scarring on the uterus can also make it impossible to get an image of the fetus.
The high standing of the placenta is another clinical factor that will lead to the impossibility of recording the first "intrauterine" video of the baby.
If the pregnancy proceeds with oligohydramnios, then in this case, errors are also possible when trying to capture an image. In such a situation, the picture becomes less clear, the contours of the child acquire blurred outlines.
With the help of 4D research, you can also determine the sex of the child. The high resolution of expert class devices allows you to get the most accurate result. Errors in this case are almost never encountered. When pregnant with twins, using this method, you can determine the gender of each baby.
Modern devices allow determine the estimated weight as well as the size of the fetus. There are practically no technical errors in such situations. Experienced ultrasound diagnostics specialists can determine the weight of the fetus with an accuracy of a couple of grams. This definition is very important, as it indicates how well the future baby is developing in the womb.
Many mothers do not know which ultrasound method to choose. In this case, I would like to advise that such a decision should not be made on your own, but together with your attending physician. An experienced doctor will never order a study if it can harm the unborn child in any way.
Pregnant women should be sure to remember that a simple ultrasound scan is sufficient for screening various pathologies of pregnancy. 3D or 4D studies do not differ significantly from each other. The difference in them is one thing - obtaining a spatial image.
Alleged harm
Obstetricians-gynecologists note that it is better not to do 4D ultrasound in early pregnancy. Research during this period of intrauterine development of the fetus can be harmful. The initial weeks of embryo growth are accompanied by active organogenesis - the process of laying down internal organs.
Exposure to ultrasonic waves of a rather high frequency and intensity can have an adverse effect on this process and lead to the development of undesirable consequences in the child in the future. As a rule, these pathologies appear in the baby already after birth.
In some cases, expectant mothers do such a study at 12 weeks of pregnancy. As a rule, on their own. In this case, it should be remembered that if no more than 2-3 ultrasounds are performed during the entire pregnancy, then you should not worry about the risk of developing undesirable adverse consequences. More frequent conduct of this study can lead to the fact that the child will show various deviations in the work of the nervous and cardiovascular systems after birth.
There is no essential need to carry out 4D for a period of 12 weeks instead of a conventional ultrasound. Even the usual research carried out in two-channel mode will show all the pathologies and abnormalities that are present in the baby. The normal course of pregnancy also does not require a "volumetric" instrumental test.
A thermal effect has an adverse effect on the fetus. This arises, when the ultrasonic sensor touches the skin... The duration of the procedure also only contributes to strong tissue overheating. Scientists have found that frequent long-term ultrasound scans can lead to various neurological disorders in a baby after birth.
In modern devices, the thermal effect is practically reduced to a minimum.
The developers of such equipment are trying to make this type of research as safe as possible for the body of a pregnant woman and for the fetus.
You can learn more about 4D ultrasound below.
