Fetal Ultrasound: What To Think About

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What To Think About

• Normal fetal ultrasound results do not guarantee a normal, healthy baby.
• Your doctor may recommend additional tests or procedures if the results of your fetal ultrasound are not normal.
• Your husband or partner may be encouraged to be present during the fetal ultrasound test. A photograph or videotape of the ultrasound image of the fetus is sometimes available to the parents.
• Your due date may be changed based on an ultrasound done in early pregnancy if the ultrasound predicts a different date, based on fetal size and development.
• Ultrasounds do not always show birth defects.
• In the third trimester, fetal ultrasound does not accurately determine fetal age or weight.
• The effects of prolonged fetal ultrasound exposure have not been determined; therefore, the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not recommend fetal ultrasound for nonmedical reasons, such as for identifying the sex of the fetus or as personal keepsakes.
• Three-dimensional (3-D) fetal ultrasound is being tested for use in evaluating fetal abnormalities. It is not yet widely available.
• Doppler ultrasound (or duplex scanning) uses reflected sound waves to estimate the speed and direction of blood as it flows to the placenta and within the fetus. For more information, see the medical test Doppler Ultrasound.

Last updated:	June 28, 2007
Author:	Maria G. Essig, MS, ELS
Reviewed By:	Joy Melnikow, MD, MPH - Family Medicine, Deborah A. Penava, BA, MD, FRCSC, MPH - Obstetrics and Gynecology
Editors:	Susan Van Houten, RN, BSN, MBA, Tracy Landauer