WHAT ARE THE RISKS? IS IT SAFE?

Ultrasound examinations are safe and reliable. It does not use ionizing radiation and so carries none of the risks associated with this. Ultrasound has been used on pregnant women for more than 30 years and so far there is no reason to think that it is harmful to mothers or babies. Standard diagnostic ultrasound has no side effects and is painless. You may feel slight discomfort as the transducer is pressed against the area being examined especially if this area is tender. As with all medical tests, the benefits must always be greater than the risks.

WHAT HAPPENS DURING AN ULTRASOUND ?

The ultrasound machine resembles a home computer system. There is a hard drive, keyboard, a display monitor (sometimes a second display monitor for the patient to view) and a handheld transducer. The transducer emits sound waves and picks up the returning echoes. Images of the inside of the body are displayed on the screen/monitor. The images are constantly uploading so the scan can show movement. Imaging can be in 2D, which utilizes 2 dimensions, 3D imaging utilizes 3 dimensions or 4D which utilizes 3D technology and incorporates real time .

WHAT HAPPENS AT AN ULTRASOUND SESSION ?

• Please arrive a few minutes before your actual appointment so that you can complete a consent form.
• Ensure that clothing worn is easy to remove (preferably a pants/skirt and top).
• You may be asked to change into a gown for the ultrasound examination.
• Family or friends are welcome to share the experience if it is a pregnancy scan.
• You will be asked to lie down on a bed and to expose the area that is to be examined.
• Paper towel is usually put around the area of interest to protect the clothing.
• A water based gel is spread over the area to be examined so as to allow better contact between the transducer (probe) and the skin thus improving the produced image.
• The produced images can be viewed on a flat screen monitor by the patient and their family. 

IF THE SCAN IS A PREGNANCY SCAN ?

Specific measurements are done of the baby Listen to the heartbeat and heart rate Weight of the baby is calculated Gender can be determined (please inform the sonographer if you choose not to know the gender. Images are stored on a CD which is given to the patient after completion of the scan.

Does a normal ultrasound mean I will have a healthy baby?

Ultrasound can detect many but not all abnormalities. Finding an abnormality is dependent not only on the body size of the mom and the gestational age of the fetus but also the size, position of the fetus as well as the size and type of abnormality. The clarity of the images is dependent on the ultrasound equipment and how well the ultrasound can pass through the mothers abdomen. Therefore the bigger the abdomen, the more difficult it becomes to get good images.