![]() Other causes may include heart abnormalities or even other rarer If the neck fold is unusually thick, it may indicate that your baby may have Down syndrome. This is done by a measurement of the skin fold thickness (nuchal translucency) at the back of the baby's neck. In recent years, ultrasound scans in the first trimester can be used to assess the risk of your baby being affected by Down Syndrome (read the article on ![]() The first trimester ultrasound also allows you to know if you are expecting twins or even triplets. Indeed, the accuracy of the first trimester ultrasound scan is within a week. It also helps you to plan ahead like informing your employer about maternity leave and making all the necessary arrangements for baby care before the arrival of your baby. This is especially important for your doctor to manage your pregnancy well. Your expected date of delivery (EDD) can then be estimated accurately. ![]() The current gestation (age) of your pregnancy can be calculated by taking measurements of your baby during the scan (Table 14.1). Be assured that vaginal scanning is safe and will not harm your pregnancy in any way. Sometimes, your doctor may use a vaginal probe for the scan when your pregnancy is about 5 to 6 weeks. The baby’s heartbeat is normally visible by 6 weeks of pregnancy. This happens to 1– 2% of all pregnancies. Visualising the pregnancy in the womb is reassuring, because it confirms that it is in the right location.Īlth ough very uncommon, pregnancy can sometimes be implanted in the wrong place like in the fallopian tubes (known asĮctopic pregnancy). This can be seen as early as 5 to 6 weeks of pregnancy. In a usual situation, the scan will show the early pregnancy sac in the womb with the fetus within the sac. Your first ultrasound scan should be performed in yourįirst trimester of pregnancy. It is a safe and useful way of obtaining images of your baby and his/her surrounding environment to provide useful information on his/her health (Figure 14.1). So what's really going on inside your uterus? Let's take a look.An ultrasound scan is an assessment tool commonly used by doctors during your pregnancy. Vagina: The part of the female genitals, behind the bladder and in front of the rectum, that forms a canal extending from the uterus to the vulva. When a fertilized egg (ovum) becomes implanted in the uterus, the baby develops there. Uterus (also called the womb): The uterus is a hollow, pear-shaped organ located in a woman's lower abdomen, between the bladder and the rectum, that sheds its lining each month during menstruation. The umbilical cord contains two arteries and a vein that carry oxygen and nutrients to the fetus and waste products away from the baby. Umbilical Cord: A rope-like cord connecting the baby to the placenta. Sperm: A male cell that is produced in the testes and can fertilize a female egg cell. Placenta: An organ, shaped like a flat cake, which only grows during pregnancy and provides nourishment to and takes waste away from the fetus. Made up of mostly fibrous tissue and muscle, the cervix is circular in shape.Įgg: The female reproductive cell produced in and released from the ovaries also called the ovum.įertilization: Joining of the egg and sperm.įetus: The term for an unborn baby from the eighth week after fertilization until birth. The amniotic sac protects the fetus from injury and helps to regulate his temperature.Ĭervix: The lower part of the uterus that projects into the vagina and opens/dilates at birth. The sac is filled with amniotic fluid which is a liquid made by the baby and the amnion (the membrane that covers the fetal side of the placenta). Amniotic Sac: A thin-walled sac that surrounds the baby during pregnancy.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |