How To Read An Ultrasound Report Of Pregnancy?

It’s not very difficult to read or understand ultrasound reports of pregnancy. However, the only pre-requisite is your basic understanding of some medical terms/terminology.

It’s not very difficult to read or understand ultrasound reports of pregnancy. However, the only pre-requisite is your basic understanding of some medical terms/terminology.

You will receive the reports with description of your ultrasound findings along with attached picture/sonogram. You may read and understand the printed description of your ultrasound findings but you may not completely understand the sonogram attached with it.

Usually, the sonogram is provided for your obstetrician reference purpose. So that she may look and analyse the co-relation between the description provided and the sonogram attached with it. This helps your obstetrician in understanding and developing proper management plan according to your current scenario.

Color doppler ultrasound in pregnancy?

Obstetric Color doppler also known as color doppler ultrasound in pregnancy is a diagnostic tool that is used in pregnancy to check the patency, direction and speed of blood flow in maternal as well as fetal blood vessels. It is commonly done in third trimester of pregnancy. However, in high-risk pregnancies it may be done at an earlier stage. It also provides guidance in deciding time of delivery in such cases.

Color Doppler ultrasound is a non-invasive, painless and fast modality of imaging which is safe in pregnancy as it doesn’t utilize ionizing radiations or contrast agents rather it utilizes sound waves for depicting any underlying pathology of maternal or fetal blood flow.

Some of the indications/use of color doppler ultrasound in pregnancy includes:

1) Evaluation of utero-placental circulation

2) Evaluation of fetal circulation

3) Pre-eclampsia

4) Fetal anemia

5) Gestational hypertension

6) Oligohydramnios

7) Evaluation of fetal heart for congenital anomalies such as Tricuspid regurgitation.

8) Intra Uterine Growth Restriction (IUGR)

9) Twin pregnancy

10) Twin-twin transfusion syndrome (TTTS)

11) HELLP Syndrome (Hemolysis, Elevated liver enzymes, Low platelet count)

12) Maternal isoimmunization etc.

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Difference between sonography and ultrasound in pregnancy?

Ultrasound in pregnancy is an imaging test that is commonly used for the evaluation of growth and development of your baby inside the uterus. It utilizes high frequency sound waves and a computer to produce images of the developing fetus along with maternal internal reproductive organs.

A pregnancy ultrasound is also known by various other names such as Obstetric ultrasound, Obstetrical sonography, antenatal scan, antenatal ultrasound, prenatal ultrasound, fetal monitoring ultrasound, pregnancy sonogram etc.

Thus, there is no difference between sonography and an ultrasound scan and both the terms can be used interchangeably. However, the term sonogram refers to image produced by an ultrasound scan or sonography test.

How soon can pregnancy be detected by ultrasound?

The 1st sign of early pregnancy seen on ultrasound scan is the presence of gestational sac. It is a spherical, fluid containing sac around the developing embryo.

On ultrasound scan, an intrauterine gestational sac appears as two concentric echogenic rings that are separated by a hyperechoic space. This finding is known as Double decidual sac sign and indicates a normal intrauterine pregnancy.

Gestational sac can be seen as early as:

a. 5 weeks of gestation by TVS (Transvaginal sonography) scan.

b. 6 weeks of gestation by Transabdominal ultrasound/obstetric ultrasound scan.

Pregnancy ultrasound schedule?

Trimester	Type of scan	Weeks	Purpose	Category
First trimester	a) Dating scan or obstetric ultrasound.	6-8 weeks	1)To confirm pregnancy. 2) To rule out abnormal implantation such as an ectopic pregnancy. 3) Evaluate gestational age of baby.	Mandatory
	b) NT NB scan	11-13 weeks	1)Screening for chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome. 2)To identify any structural abnormality.	Optional

Second trimester	Anomaly scan or Level 2 ultrasound or TIFFA scan	18-22 weeks	1)To detect congenital malformations. 2)To identify fetal growth abnormalities. 3)To identify placental pathology.	Mandatory

Third trimester	1) Fetal well-being ultrasound or growth scan	24-32 weeks	1)To evaluate the progress in growth and development of baby. 2)To evaluate amniotic fluid volume.	If required
	2) Obstetric color doppler ultrasound.	28-32 weeks	1)To check the patency, direction and speed of blood flow in maternal as well as fetal vessels. 2)To rule out fetal anemia. 3)To rule out placental insufficiency.	If required
	3) Ultrasound Biophysical profile	32 weeks till term		If required

How many ultrasounds are safe during pregnancy?

Normally 2-3 ultrasound scans are performed during pregnancy. However, if required multiple scans can be done. According to ACOG (American college of obstetricians and gynaecologist), ultrasounds are safe during pregnancy and there is no evidence demonstrating that ultrasonography pose any kind of risk to the growing foetus.

Obstetric sonography/Pregnancy ultrasound utilizes high frequency sound waves and a computer to produce images of the developing fetus along with maternal internal reproductive organs.

Ultrasound in pregnancy is a fast, non-invasive and painless imaging modality and is considered safe in pregnancy as it doesn’t utilize ionizing radiations or contrast agents which are usually used in the other imaging scans such as X-rays or CT (Computed tomography) scans.

Pregnancy ultrasound report sample?