Ultrasound is a diagnostic technique used in hospitals. Using ultrasound, it creates two- or three-dimensional images that can detect tumors and other pathologies but is also used to monitor the fetus in the mother’s womb.
How does an ultrasound scan work?
Sound is a mechanical wave that, originating from a strong transmitter, propagates through matter in the form of waves. When the sound hits a surface capable of reflecting it, an echo is produced, a reflected sound that returns to the emitting source. Ultrasound uses ultrasound to produce echoes and thus visualize the organs of the human body.
What are the differences between 2D, 3D and 4D ultrasound?
3D and 4D ultrasound scans allow for three-dimensional imaging and analysis. This makes it possible for the pregnant women and their relatives to recognize the images that appear on the monitor, something that did not happen with 2D ultrasound scans, in which only the specialist was able to interpret the images.
Even so, these ultrasound scans require training and education in addition to the prior and essential preparation for 2D ultrasound scans. They also require a significant technological investment.
Other advantages of 3D and 4D ultrasound with respect to 2D ultrasound is that it makes possible a greater study of musculoskeletal malformations, an evaluation of facial dimorphism and the study of hand and foot anomalies. It is possible, for example, to evaluate cranial sutures, look for fractures of long bones and ribs and detect subtle anomalies of the vertebrae.
In addition to obtaining images that make three-dimensional analysis possible, 4D ultrasound differs from 3D ultrasound in that it incorporates sound to capture images in real time. They can be performed from week 12 to full-term gestation, and although it is generally accepted that they should be performed between weeks 20 and 22, with 4D ultrasound it is possible to visualize the face long before and after this period.
4D ultrasounds also help with prenatal diagnosis of congenital malformations, although genetic diseases can only be detected with an examination of the karyotype (code that expresses the chromosomal pattern of an individual).
Is the image resulting from a 4D ultrasound always clear?
As the fetus grows, the space and mobility of the fetus decreases, which can make visualization difficult. It also depends to a great extent on the fetal position, the amniotic fluid, the placenta and the body mass index of the pregnant woman, since obese pregnant women make it difficult for the ultrasound to pass through.
However, these ultrasound scans achieve good contact between mother, child and father, so that emotional bonds are favored and will be enhanced after birth, benefiting the development and maturation of the child.
4D ultrasounds represent an advance in the diagnosis of many morphological diseases and therefore should be used by specialists who know how to analyze beyond the face of the fetus, thanks to the analysis of the amniotic fluid, placenta and feto-placental circulation, being able to perform diagnoses and biometries.