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Prenatal Testing

A Dad's Eye View

By Dr. Aneema Van Groenou

An ultrasound is a diagnostic test that uses sound waves – so high frequency that humans cannot hear them – to create an image of internal organs. During pregnancy, ultrasound is used most frequently to examine the baby inside the uterus.

Ultrasounds can be done throughout the pregnancy to monitor the fetus' growth and confirm the due date. A woman may require an ultrasound for various other reasons as well.

During the first couple of months, the pregnancy is seen most easily by a vaginal ultrasound probe. The vaginal probe is narrow and covered in a long condom and inserted in the vagina, right up against the cervix. This type of ultrasound may be a little uncomfortable, but is not painful and does not endanger the pregnancy at all.

Early in pregnancy, if the mother develops vaginal bleeding, the ultrasound is used to make sure the fetus is inside the uterus and not growing in the fallopian tubes. If the embryo is seen in the tubes by the ultrasound scan, the gynecologists will determine if she needs surgery to treat the tubal or ectopic pregnancy.

If the pregnancy is in the uterus but the mother is bleeding vaginally, the ultrasound can help determine if the pregnancy is viable (does it have a heartbeat?) and if it is growing properly.

Abdominal Ultrasound