Fetal ultrasound screening that pregnant mothers should not ignore

When a woman becomes pregnant, her body begins to undergo various changes to prepare for the arrival of a new life. Among them, fetal ultrasound screening is a non-invasive examination method that aims to provide pregnant mothers and doctors with important information about the health of the fetus. During pregnancy, fetal ultrasound screening can obtain images of the fetus in the uterus through ultrasound technology, thereby helping doctors detect the development of the fetus, observe the structure and function of organs, and even discover possible abnormalities.

Fetal ultrasound screening can not only allow pregnant mothers to see the cute face of their future baby, but more importantly, it can help doctors detect and deal with potential health problems in a timely manner and ensure the healthy growth of the fetus. In this era of highly developed technology, fetal ultrasound screening has become an important part of pregnancy care, and its significance goes far beyond just satisfying the family's curiosity about the future baby. Therefore, pregnant mothers should not ignore the importance of fetal ultrasound screening during pregnancy and conduct timely examinations to ensure the health and safety of the baby. So, how much do you know about fetal ultrasound screening? Please follow my steps and explore together!

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1. Is prenatal ultrasound screening reliable?

Ultrasound technology is now very accurate, but if the test results show no abnormalities, it does not mean that there is no problem! Similarly, if the test results show a problem, it may be a false alarm.

Congenital defects in fetuses account for about 3% of the total number. Of these, about 75% can be detected by ultrasound. The detection rate of major malformations is about 70%. However, its accuracy is closely related to factors such as pregnancy stage, fetal position, whether the pregnant woman is obese, and the doctor's experience.

Ultrasound examination is an indirect examination method with certain limitations. Prenatal diagnosis cannot be completely equivalent to postnatal diagnosis. Many factors will affect the accuracy of fetal malformation diagnosis, such as fetal eyes, ears, cleft palate, hemivertebra, thyroid gland, internal and external genitalia, skin and other tiny structures, as well as functional disorders, which cannot be completely detected by ultrasound.

Ultrasound examination is currently the most effective and safe way to check for obstetrics. Although prenatal examinations cannot completely avoid birth defects or exclude fetal structural abnormalities, not having any problems once does not mean there will be no problems in the future. I hope that pregnant mothers will not relax their vigilance and have regular prenatal examinations.

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2. What are the five important ultrasound examinations during pregnancy?

(1) First time: around 6-10 weeks of pregnancy

Check the size, number, heart rate, uterus and appendages of the pregnant woman, etc.

(2) Second time: around 11-13+⁶ weeks of pregnancy

Perform a fetal ultrasound nuchal translucency (NT) test, which uses ultrasound to measure the thickness of the fluid in the subcutaneous tissue at the back of the fetal neck. The larger the value, the higher the risk of chromosomal abnormalities. Clinical studies have shown that the higher the thickness of the fetal NT is, the higher the risk of suffering from diseases such as trisomy 21, trisomy 18, and trisomy 13. The fetal venous catheter (DV) spectrum will also be checked during the NT examination. Related studies have shown that there is a certain connection between fetal NT thickening and abnormal DV blood flow spectrum and congenital heart disease.

(3) The third time: around 20-24+⁶ weeks of pregnancy

Fetal systematic ultrasound examination, also known as major fetal malformation screening, is also called four-dimensional color Doppler ultrasound. This examination is a very critical step in pregnancy ultrasound examination, which can screen out nine common fetal developmental abnormalities and other major structural abnormalities. When pregnant mothers undergo fetal systematic ultrasound examination, they must go to a hospital or prenatal diagnosis institution with prenatal ultrasound screening qualifications to ensure the reliability of the examination results.

(4) The fourth time: around 28-32 weeks of pregnancy

The main content of this examination is the same as that of the major fetal malformation screening, which is mainly to conduct a secondary screening for certain delayed fetal structural abnormalities, also known as the minor fetal malformation screening, and to detect the function and position of the placenta. This examination also tests the growth and development of the fetus, including important indicators such as the biparietal diameter, head circumference and femur length, in order to understand the growth and development of the fetus and to indicate the early symptoms of fetal maldevelopment, intrauterine hypoxia, etc.

(5) Fifth time: before delivery

Specific examination items include fetal size, fetal position, umbilical cord, placenta, amniotic fluid volume, etc. At the same time, estimates must be made based on the specific physical condition and the actual situation must be evaluated before the best arrangements can be made.

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3. What are level I, level II , level III, and level IV ultrasounds? What examination contents do they include?

The Ultrasound Branch of the Chinese Medical Doctor Association divides prenatal ultrasound into four levels according to the specific medical conditions in my country, and formulates the "Guidelines for Prenatal Ultrasound Examination". According to the guidelines, it is divided into two aspects: one is prenatal ultrasound screening, and the other is prenatal ultrasound diagnosis. Prenatal ultrasound screening includes: Level I obstetric ultrasound examination, Level II obstetric ultrasound and Level III obstetric ultrasound. Mid-pregnancy fetal ultrasound examination is divided into four categories: Level I, II, III and Level IV. Among them, Level IV obstetric ultrasound examination is also called prenatal ultrasound diagnosis, or targeted prenatal ultrasound.

(1) Level I obstetric ultrasound examination: It only screens the size, position, and placenta of the fetus, but will not screen for structural malformations of the fetus.

(2) Level II obstetric ultrasound examination: Screening of fetal size and the six major categories of lethal malformations specified by the Ministry of Health, also known as routine ultrasound examination, including: anencephaly, severe encephalocele, severe open spina bifida, severe chest and abdominal wall defect with visceral exstrophy, single-chamber heart, and lethal chondrodysplasia.

(3) Level III obstetric ultrasound examination: Systematic screening of important anatomical structures of the fetus and systematic screening of patients with obvious structural abnormalities, also known as systematic ultrasound examination. Mainly screen common diseases, including: anencephaly, severe cystic hygroma, malignant chondrodysplasia, severe open spina bifida, etc.

(4) Level IV obstetric ultrasound examination: also known as targeted prenatal ultrasound examination, this test can only be performed in medical institutions with prenatal diagnosis qualifications. It is mainly used to diagnose pregnant women with fetal abnormalities found in prenatal screening, suspected fetal abnormalities, or high-risk factors for fetal abnormalities.

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4. What should we pay attention to during fetal system ultrasound examination?

(1) No need to fast

It is not necessary to fast for fetal ultrasound examination. Since the examination and waiting process will be long, you can prepare some food to restore your physical strength. If it is not necessary to fast, it is best to prepare breakfast and lunch in advance to avoid dizziness and other symptoms caused by low blood sugar during the waiting process.

(2) Inspection content

The "Guidelines for Prenatal Ultrasound Examination" stipulates that systematic prenatal ultrasound examinations should mainly observe the morphological structures of the important organs of the fetus, including: the fetal cerebellum, lateral ventricles, upper lip, spine, severe abdominal wall defects, thoracic and abdominal organ eversion, kidneys, gastric bubbles, bladder, femur, humerus, tibia, fibula, ulna, radius, four-chamber heart, etc. During pregnancy, each fetus must undergo 32 to 39 section examinations.

(3) Bring all the information

When doing a full-body ultrasound examination, you generally need to know the results of Down's syndrome screening first, and then conduct a comprehensive analysis based on the previous ultrasound examination results. Therefore, when doing the examination, it is best to prepare all the relevant information for the prenatal examination so that the examination can be better conducted. Since the gestational age of pregnant women is different, the intrauterine development of the fetus is also different, so don't feel uneasy because of your own examination results. It is recommended to consult an outpatient specialist and conduct further examinations under the guidance of the doctor.

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5. Professional knowledge of common diseases in fetal ultrasound screening

Ultrasound screening is only a preliminary screening method and cannot be used as the sole basis for diagnosis. If the doctor suspects that the fetus may have a disease, further examinations such as amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling are usually recommended to confirm the presence of the disease. Common diseases in fetal ultrasound screening include Down syndrome, congenital heart disease, neural tube defects, etc.

Down syndrome is a common chromosomal abnormality that causes patients to have characteristic facial features and intellectual disability.

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Congenital heart disease is an abnormality in the structure of the heart caused by poor development during fetal development and may require surgical intervention.

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Neural tube defects are a group of serious congenital diseases, such as cleft lip, cleft palate, spina bifida, etc., which can seriously affect the quality of life of the child after birth.

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Expertise in common diseases is very important when performing fetal ultrasound screening. If a strong light spot is found in the left ventricle during the examination, this may be a sign that the fetus has some kind of heart problem. In this case, the doctor needs to further observe and evaluate the fetal heart structure and function to ensure that any potential problems are treated and handled in a timely manner. If abnormal indicators are found, such as excessive thickness of the nuchal translucency or missing nasal bones, you should also be vigilant. These indicators may indicate that the fetus is at risk of chromosomal abnormalities or other genetic diseases. The doctor will recommend further genetic testing to determine the health of the fetus and take necessary measures to protect the health of the fetus.

Summary: Fetal ultrasound screening is a care for life and a declaration of love. Pregnant mothers, let us feel this sacred mission with our hearts, let love be conveyed in every ultrasound, and let the future bloom in every picture.