4D Baby Scan - Face

To read more about the advances and use of 4D baby scans in clinical situations go here:

4D  Scan For Early Baby Diagnosis

excerpt:

3D/4D sonography moved prenatal diagnosis of fetal anomalies from the second to the first trimester of pregnancy
The introduction of 3D/4D sonography with high frequency transvaginal transducer has resulted in remarkable
progress in ultrasonographic visualization of early embryos and fetuses and development of new fields of 3D sonoembryology.
Furthermore, there are good reasons to believe that 3D/4D sonography moved prenatal diagnosis of fetal
abnormalities from the second to the first trimester of pregnancy.

4D scans are not routinely performed on NHS Hospitals because their application in clinical situations are not
widely adopted.

We recently posted a review of how 4D baby scans were being used to assess the general well being of the baby
based on the level of activity and facial gestures seen on 3d and 4d scans. That made a lot of sense because why
you are looking at 4D scans, it is like looking into the baby’s face or eye. There is that connection!

The fact that more clinical uses are coming on board from across the world means 4D baby scans are not a gimic as
some distractors would have you believe.

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A 4D baby scan is a particular type of scan conducted to measure the growth of a baby. Through 4D technology, the baby can be seen in a 3 dimensional view and prospective mothers can also see a baby’s movement inside womb – making it 4 dimensional (4D).

What makes it different from other baby scans?

Trans vaginal ultrasound is an essential diagnostic tool for an emergency situation

Ectopic pregnancy is very dangerous and should be diagnosed without delay. However it is not always easy due to
the many varied presentations.

A woman who is one minute very well could be collpsed due to massive internal bleeding or pain.
Vaginal ultrasound scan has become central and critical to the management of women suspected of having an ectopic
pregnancy.

To read more about how transvaginal ultrasound should be used to diagnose ectopic pregnancy go here:

excerpt:

The majority of ectopic pregnancies can be diagnosed on transvaginal scan before treatment.

The majority of ectopic pregnancies will be visible on the initial transvaginal scan performed.

Those who do not have their ectopic pregnancies visualized on the first examination will be initially classified as
having a pregnancy of unknown location.

This review discusses the use of ultrasound in the diagnosis of ectopic pregnancy and the specific
criteria for diagnosis of the different types of ectopic pregnancy.

Unless you have experienced the emergency of an ectopic pregnancy you may not fully appreciate the magnitude of
the situation.

Women who have suffered an ectopic pregnancy will have been advised to report to their doctor or hospital as soon
as they become pregnant. This is because awareness and early diagnosis prevents serious morbidity, suffering and
even death.

Trans vaginal ultrasound, sharp awareness on both patient and doctors, is critical early accurate diagnosis.

Vaginal Ultrasound Scan

Trans Vaginal ultrasound scan for Premature Labour screening

Trans vaginal ultrasound scan is believed to play a key role in the detection and assessment of premature labour.

Premature labour is preceded by changes on the cervix (neck of the womb), that can be picked by trans vaginal ultrasound scan technique. This is when the ultrasound scan probe is inserted in the vagina, so getting very close to the cervix it is scanning. The closer to the cervix the better the image. 

A scientific review of the usefulness of trans vaginal ultrasound scan has just been published here.

To read more about this publication about how trans vaginal ultrasound scan helps in the screening of premature
labour go here

Vaginal ultrasound scan for Premature Labour screening

excerpt

Digital examination and transvaginal scan – competing or complementary for predicting preterm birth?

To review the predictive value of digital examination and transvaginal scan in low-risk asymptomatic
and symptomatic women before treatment.

Knowledge of ultrasonographic cervical length in symptomatic women was not associated with a significantly
improved outcome in symptomatic women, but may help to reduce length of hospitalization.

In women selected by the Bishop Score, a transvaginal scan may reduce the number of false-positive results.
The methods for assessing cervical change should be regarded as complementary.

Premature labour continues to pose a serious and significant problem for maternity services and for individual
women concerned.

Babies born before term are often very ill requiring intensive care support or special care unit support. This is
stressful for both family and baby.

Trans vaginal ultrasound scan is very good for identifying particular situations when the cervix is weak and will
result in premature labour. This condition is known as cervical incompetence.

Trans vaginal ultrasound scan continues to play a key role as part of the set of other tools in the assessment of
premature labour.

A good history, and a thorough caring and reassuring examination have not been replaced by trans vaginal scanning,
though the technology is still very important.

This is how you can help:

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Vaginal Ultrasound Scan

The timing and effenciecy of staff,and all round care was great!

- Leah from Birmingham

 - Suzie (Essex)

Ultrasound Scans NOT Accurate In Identifying Identical Twins – Not Even 4D Scan Can Do That!

From time to time we get a question from parents whether a 4D scan can tell whether twins in the womb are identical or not.

A recent study published in the International Journal of Obstetrics & Gynaecology identifies a worrying situation that parents may have wrongly been informed that their twins were identical in the womb using ultrasound technology.

Using 2d ultrasound scans identifies whether twins are sharing one or two separate placentas. Non identical twins almost always will have separate placenta even though may be difficult to tell on the scan. On the other hand, identical twins may have two separate placentas, depending on when the fertilised embryo split to form twins. If the embryo splits early enough and the placentation starts separately, the identical twins may have separate placentas.

What has happened in the past is that professionals providing ultrasound scan services may have assumed, wrongly, that two separate placentas means non-identical twins or that single placenta is always identical twins. The former is an easier mistake to make. The latter is rooted in the difficulty to always be in a position to identify separate placentas by ultrasound scan, although the scanning technology is improving all the time.

4D Baby Scan - Face

To read more about this article go here:

excerpt:

Are my twins identical:

parents may be misinformed by prenatal scan observations.

Parents may be misinformed during prenatal scans on whether their twins are identical or non-identical, say UCL researchers in a new commentary piece published today (29 February) in the journal.

Determining if same-sex twins are identical or non-identical (from one egg or two; monozygotic or dizygotic) is not always straight forward, say the researchers.

The majority of parents (1302/82%) reported that they had been given the information by health professionals based on the formation of the placenta as seen on the prenatal scan.

The researchers found that out of the 1302 parents, 191 (14.7%) were misinformed about their same sex twins’ zygosity (identical or non-identical).

However 25-30% of identical twins can have two placentas say the researchers.

John Thorp, BJOG Deputy-Editor-in-Chief added: “This paper highlights the uncertainty that can exist in finding out whether same sex twins are identical or not. Additional training may be required for health professionals to avoid giving out the wrong information to parents.”

Bumps 4D providers of pregnancy scans prides itself in providing a professional service to pregnant women. The services include 4d scan and twin scans. Our guidelines emphasize the need to avoid at all times misleading parents into believing one way or the other regarding the identity of twins.

The pressure can be applied by parents who are keen to know if their twins are identical. The situation is made even more tricky when the faces of the twin babies seen in the womb in 3D scan mode look very much alike.

4d scan

A recent paper by Drs Abo-Yaqoub and others has found that using 4D ultrasound to screen babies for brain dysfunction was useful in identifying babies at risk of brain related problems.

4D Baby Scan - Face

In their study, the researchers compared 2 groups of pregnant women. One group of 40 women at high risk of giving birth to babies with neurological problems and the other group was composed of 40 pregnant women at low risk.

By looking at various activities with 4D ultrasound, they were able to assess how the each baby was behaving. Activities such as head movements, limb movements (thus the fetal kick counts),
blinking and hand to face movements were assessed and documented.

They analyzed their findings comparing the results obtained by 4D ultrasound method for brain dysfunction screening to another established method, known as Kurjak antenatal neurodevelopmental test (KANET).

The researchers then compared the results of 4D ultrasound, KANET and features obtained after birth using using Amiel-Tison’s neurological assessment at term (ATNAT) for all live-borns..

To the full abstract  please click here:

 The role of 4-D ultrasonography in prenatal assessment of fetal neurobehaviour and prediction of neurological outcome

Objective. To determine the role of 4-D ultrasonography in prenatal assessment of fetal neurobehavior and in prediction of adverse neurological outcome.

Population. Forty pregnant women between 20 and 38 weeks of gestation with high risk for neurological abnormalities and 40 low risk cases were included.

Results. The difference in the range of KANET score was significant. A significant difference was shown for isolated head anteflexion, isolated eye blinking, facial expressions, mouth
movements, isolated hand movements, hand to face movement, finger movements, and general movements. For isolated leg movement and cranial sutures, the difference was not significant.

All cases with abnormal KANET proved to be abnormal postnatally.

Conclusion. 4-D ultrasonography may have an important role in prenatal assessment of fetal neurobehavior and prediction of adverse neurological outcome. However, further large studies are recommended before the test could be recommended for wider clinical practice.

Until now, it has been very difficult to predict neurological (nervous system, brain) function outcomes after birth of babies while still in the womb.From time to time it is necessary to try
and predict the consequences of a prevailing situation in pregnancy.

After birth, babies are usually assessed by several methods, one such method is called the The method used is one known as Amiel-Tison’s neurological assessment at term (ATNAT) for all live-
borns.

So far, the majority of 4D scans have been requested by parents who have found them reassuring by the fact they could see their baby in real life. What the researchers have done is use the information that is available now to parents into a more clinically useful material to screen for brain disease.

Although  the study is promising, the researchers do recommend further studies being done to confirm these results and establish the clinical role of 4D ultrasound for screening of unborn
babies for brain related problems.

4d ultrasound scan, 4d scanning, 4d scan, brain function screening, brain damage

4d Ultrasound

4D Scan

Early Pregnancy Scanning – an opportunity for fetal screening

Early Pregnancy Scan