What is a 3-D Ultrasound? What is the difference between 3-D and the usual ultrasound during pregnancy? Is it dangerous for your baby? This article answers all of these questions.
Nowadays, 3-D Ultrasound is a newfangled diagnostic scan during pregnancy, which becomes a common procedure to detect abnormalities of a fetus. This examination gives future parents pleasure and brings plenty of positive emotions. So, what is a 3-D Ultrasound?
The Essence of 3-D Ultrasound Method
The operating principle of such diagnostics does not differ from a classic Ultrasound which penetrates and spreads over the somatic tissues, depending on solidity and composition of the medium. However, a standard ultrasound provides an image, completely clear to professionals. The most many patients can do is to find a backbone and large bones of the limbs with the doctor’s help.
3-D Ultrasound looks different. Lucky parents can see the three-dimensional image, resembling a regular photo with enough high quality so you can see a face and even count fingers.
What is 4-D Ultrasound?
In practice, 4-D Ultrasound devices can take freeze-frame images and fix movements as well. Thanks to this diagnostic, parents-to-be are able to see their baby long before its birth.
The Best Time to Do a 3-D Ultrasound
It is quite clear that parents desire to get a touching ultrasound photo as soon as possible. But, one shouldn’t do this before the 18th-20th week. Unfortunately, you’ll see nothing at such an early stage of pregnancy. After 32 weeks is also considered to be an inappropriate period to take photos, as it becomes a bit too crowded for a baby in the stomach, so you won’t see anything as well.
What to Expect?
3-D ultrasound during pregnancy takes twice the time than a traditional diagnostic; that is why you should be ready for 30-40 minutes of examination.
Unfortunately, your baby may refuse point blank to be photographed. It can turn its back to you.
Also, be ready to pay for the procedure between $100-$300.
Is it Dangerous for Your Baby?
This issue is still an actual one: as to radiation, 3D method does not differ from a standard investigation. So, the data below is about ultrasounds, excluding stereo image.
It is believed, that ultrasound investigation doesn’t provoke any essential increase of congenital anomaly frequency in pregnancy pathology. That is why ultrasound investigation is a compulsory diagnostic for pregnant women. However, there is a concept in medicine, named, long-term effects – complications to show up after long period, some years or decades. Unfortunately, nobody can answer this question.
As to 3-D ultrasound investigation, doctors, being the opponents of this technique, put forward some sound arguments:
- Many competent international committees urgently recommend pregnant women to limit such kind of diagnostic as far as ultrasound long-term effects are not clear at this time.
- An image you get form 4-D ultrasound does not show you condition and viscera formation of the fetus – you see only its appearance; so, this method cannot substitute any of 3 standard compulsory investigations.
- Thus, ultrasound stereo image is medicine’s non-necessary diagnostic.
To Do or Not to Do? That is the Question
Well it’s up to parents to decide whether to see a long-awaited kid as soon as possible or to reject the idea because of possible long-term effects of Ultrasound diagnostic.
Have a nice pregnancy!
