Prenatal ultrasound enables clinicians to monitor the health of a developing fetus, identify abnormalities, and plan for early interventions.
Ultrasound can be an exciting component of prenatal care, offering expecting parents a first look at their developing fetus. These important screenings also enable obstetrics teams to closely monitor fetus health, identify abnormalities in utero, and prepare to meet any special needs immediately after birth. Here are some common questions about specialized prenatal ultrasound and how they can help improve outcomes for high-risk pregnancies.
- What does nuchal translucency mean? The nuchal translucency (NT) ultrasound is a milestone prenatal screening for many pregnant people. This first-trimester ultrasound measures the NT—a fluid-filled area behind the neck of a developing fetus. Clinicians use these measurements, along with associated bloodwork results, to predict chromosome abnormalities, specifically trisomy 21 (Down syndrome), trisomy 12, and trisomy 18. When the result is abnormal, further testing can be performed.
- How does umbilical artery Doppler assessment work? An umbilical artery Doppler assessment is a non-invasive way for clinicians to gather information on fetal placental and cardiovascular function based on blood flow resistance. A normal umbilical artery Doppler waveform has a low resistance pattern throughout gestation. Abnormal waveforms on an umbilical artery Doppler assessment could suggest serious medical conditions, such as preeclampsia, pregnancy-induced hypertension, or fetal IUGRs—all of which need to be monitored closely and could affect the timing of delivery.
- What is the value of transvaginal ultrasound during pregnancy? Transvaginal ultrasound (TVU) is typically the preferred imaging tool to use in the first trimester of pregnancy. Compared with transabdominal ultrasound, TVU can better identify the location of early pregnancy, assist in determining the viability of a pregnancy, provide more accurate dating, and assist in determining chorionicity of multiple fetuses. Due to its higher frequency probe, TVU can obtain crisper and clearer images, offer more precise measurements and details, and better detect major fetal concerns such as anencephaly, cystic hygromas, and gross limb and body-stalk anomalies.
- How does prenatal ultrasound change lives? Dr. Balu Vaidyanathan, a pediatric cardiologist in Kerala, India, has witnessed how prenatal ultrasound can greatly improve outcomes for babies born with congenital heart defects (CHDs). CHDs are the most common type of birth defects as well as a major cause of morbidity and mortality around the world. Using ultrasound to diagnose CHDs during pregnancy enables clinicians like Dr. Vaidyanathan to predict a child's future needs, plan surgery with added precision, and prepare for other timely interventions that can save lives.
- How is fetal heart ultrasound utilized in patients with congenital heart disease? Approximately 1% of babies born in the U.S. each year have a CHD that requires specialized care. One in four of them has a critical CHD, which almost always requires surgery. Ultrasound can help detect most CHDs in utero, enabling obstetric care teams to better understand the current and future needs of a developing fetus. However, obtaining the high-quality images needed to properly diagnose CHDs requires practice, skill, and considerable anatomical knowledge. Otherwise, signs of CHDs might be missed.
- How does first-trimester ultrasound enable early detection of fetal heart abnormalities that can help improve outcomes? During a first-trimester ultrasound, certain abnormal findings—including structural abnormalities, an abnormal heart-to-chest area ratio, and an enlarged nuchal translucency—alert physicians to look closer at the heart health of a developing fetus. If this imaging and other non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) indicates a high probability of CHDs, clinicians might refer patients to a high-risk specialist for an early fetal cardiac ultrasound and genetic counselling. Early detection of CHDs also ensures expecting parents get the education and support they need to make prenatal diagnostic testing decisions and to better understand their child's special needs.
Prenatal ultrasound are a low-risk, high-reward screening tool that enables clinicians to better understand the overall health of a developing fetus, plan for early interventions, and ensure the best possible outcomes before and after birth.
