4D ultrasounds are able to show us the baby with total precision and in real time, we can see what the baby is doing and at any gestational age. Here we find the big difference with 3D ultrasound, which only produce an image, it is often used in gynecopathology and especially to see the morphology of the uterus; if we apply it to the baby we would only see a picture without movement. The 4D ultrasound in addition to being in real time (24 images per second) can be represented in sepia color, so we can clearly see the face, hands, feet and even the entire bone structure in volume.
It is true that the 4D ultrasound is only useful for parents to be amazed to see their baby, it does not diagnose complications, if anything we would say that they look better, especially those concerning the face and limbs, so currently in obstetrics and with rare exceptions, it is only used for parents to see their child in volume and in real motion, staying very quiet watching their kicks, blinks or yawns. The best time to perform a 4D ultrasound is between 26 and 32 weeks, with 27, 28 and 29 weeks being ideal (connect to www.ecografia4d.es to see videos in detail).
For the diagnosis of possible complications, traditional 2D is the best method. Ideally, a 4D ultrasound is performed by an expert in prenatal diagnosis and then a 2D ultrasound is performed to assess the baby as a whole, to see if there are any late malformations not observed at 20 weeks, to calculate the baby’s weight and to assess whether it is too “fat” or “thin”, if the placenta is functioning well and the amniotic fluid is in adequate quantity or how all the flows are with Doppler in the umbilical, cerebral and uterine arteries, etc. In other words, when the patient comes out of a 4D ultrasound, not only has she seen her baby in volume and in real time, but she also leaves with peace of mind because an expert in prenatal diagnosis has performed a complete exploration of her baby. Beware of places where you only see the face and then do not tell you the status of the baby, they are cheaper but do not give you a medical report and you know that cheap is expensive.
Little danger
People often wonder if ultrasounds can harm the baby. And the answer is that it is a simple, harmless and painless technique. It is, therefore, a safe practice for both the pregnant woman and the baby, since the latter does not receive the theoretical heat produced by the ultrasound. The probes of these latest-generation ultrasound scanners are designed so as not to produce any microwave effect on the fetus.
The frequency of ultrasounds can vary from weekly to quarterly. In 80% of cases, the routine performance of a 2D ultrasound per trimester of pregnancy is sufficient, there being no reason to perform more, except for those couples who wish to perform a 4D ultrasound between 26 and 32 weeks, in these cases the social security does not cover it, so they will have to pay for it privately.
Vaginally, the favorite method
Ultrasounds can be performed vaginally or abdominally. Vaginal ultrasound is the method favored by most sonographers in the first weeks of gestation and for measuring the cervix in those cases in which its shortening is suspected, as may occur in threatened preterm labor, since it provides a clearer image than the abdominal approach. In the rest of the ultrasound examinations, the abdominal approach will be the one routinely used.