12-week pregnancy ultrasound: what will pregnant mothers know?

Ultrasound of the 12th week of pregnancy or ultrasound of the first trimester is an important time because it will help pregnant women detect abnormal problems. 

In this article, aFamilyToday Health introduces you to information around the 12-week ultrasound and why pregnant mothers should have this imaging test.

Why pregnant mothers need 12-week pregnancy ultrasound?

Having 12 weeks of pregnancy is an important milestone as it marks the completion of the first trimester and your doctor may recommend an ultrasound to assess how well the pregnancy is progressing. . Here are a few things your doctor will check for when you do a 12-week pregnancy scan:

To measure the nape of the nape of the neck.

Detect chromosome abnormalities.

Ultrasound to check fetal heart rate.

Like the previous pregnancy ultrasound, the 12 week pregnancy ultrasound helps to know exactly how many babies you are "pregnant", from single pregnancy to multiple pregnancy .

Ultrasound helps establish gestational age by measuring the length of the baby from the tip of the buttock.

Help your doctor observe your baby's parts such as arms, legs, chest, head and evaluate whether they are developing at a normal rate.

The doctor will also look at the baby's spine to check for any abnormalities.

The ovaries may also be screened for abnormalities at this time.

Help your doctor to chart the health and position of the placenta

Pregnant mothers need to prepare when going to an ultrasound?

You may be restless and wonder what will happen during the pregnancy ultrasound. However, there is nothing worth worrying about, try to stay as comfortable as possible as well as wear suitable clothes for the ultrasound process.

Time for a pregnancy ultrasound can only take place within 15 minutes if the fetus is lying in the correct supine position, which helps the doctor clearly observe the structures to be examined.

What are the indicators of the 12-week pregnancy ultrasound?

A 12-week pregnancy scan may be the first time you see your baby developing clearly in human form. In addition, the ultrasound method is also considered as the screening test for the first three months, including the following factors:

Detects abnormal defects

If your baby has Down syndrome it can be detected on an ultrasound of 12 weeks because there is a buildup of more fluid in the folds of the nape of the neck, present at the bottom of the baby's neck. According to experts, the nape of the nape of the nape of the fetus with Down syndrome will be thicker than that of a healthy fetus .

Calculate gestational age and due date

According to experts, 12-week fetal ultrasound will assist the doctor to accurately note the size of the fetus as well as other necessary information such as gestational age, due date of the baby. This helps parents to prepare for the little angel when the baby is born.

In addition, the above indicators are extremely important, so pregnant women do not miss this ultrasound.

Is it possible to know the sex of the fetus?

This week's ultrasound is usually only intended to determine if the baby is healthy and developing as usual and even though the genitals are well developed, it's often too early to see them. clearly.

However, some believe in the theory that it is possible to determine the sex of the baby from that first scan by looking at the angle of the genitals on the baby. If the genitals are off the body, it shows you are pregnant with a boy and if it is horizontal to the spinal cord then it shows you are having a girl .

Therefore, if you are curious about the sex of the baby or want to have the best preparation of furniture when the baby is born, you can refer to the article How to predict the sex of the fetus according to folk experience.

Tests may be performed

In addition to the ultrasound imaging process of the fetus, pregnant women will likely need other types of tests, such as:

Blood tests

This test is required for a pregnant woman to check the hemoglobin index and platelet count. If the low hemoglobin index means you are at risk of anemia or iron deficiency during pregnancy, your doctor will consider and suggest taking iron supplements to limit your love. the above state.

In the event of abnormal results on the nape of the nape and the fetus is suspected of having Down's syndrome, a blood test will assist in making more accurate conclusions.

In addition, a double test blood test can provide clear results, which can help screen for Edward's syndrome and Patau's syndrome effectively.

Finally, if you do not have a pre-pregnancy check-up, this test will give you an opportunity to find out if you have infectious diseases to your fetus and provide a treatment plan.

Urine test

A urine test is also a necessary test for pregnant mothers to detect additional abnormalities, such as high protein (protein) residue suggesting kidney damage, high sugar (glucose) suggesting disease. diabetes, high leukocytes suggestive of urinary infection risk ...

With the information shared above, aFamilyToday Health believes that pregnant mothers have had an overview of the 12-week pregnancy ultrasound. For the health of mother and baby, you should not ignore this important ultrasound milestone. Wish you have a good pregnancy.

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