Most expectant mothers will undergo 2D ultrasounds during their pregnancy to ensure the fetus is healthy, determine the gender, and bond with the baby. However, many non-medical settings offer 3D and 4D ultrasounds for entertainment or bonding purposes.
While these ultrasounds are safe and do not expose the fetus to excessive amounts of ultrasound energy, doctors should carefully consider whether or not they would recommend them for non-medical or unnecessary ‘entertainment’ reasons.
Better Patient-Physician Relationship
4D ultrasound imaging allows patients to see their baby in live motion rather than just a static image that looks more like a photograph. In addition to capturing the beautiful pictures many expectant parents are thrilled about, this technology also helps bond the mother and fetus.
The depth and detail of 3D and 4D ultrasound imagery are remarkably effective in detecting issues such as cleft lip, heart defects, skeletal problems, and neural abnormalities. In addition, 4D ultrasounds can also capture real-time images of the fetus kicking, sleeping, sucking their thumb, and more.
Despite their many benefits, Doctors are cautious about using these advanced scans for non-medical and unnecessary purposes. The FDA recommends that qualified sonographers only use these scans at the lowest possible intensity for a short period. Nevertheless, 4D ultrasounds have proven to be safe for pregnant women and their babies. This is why more obstetricians and gynecologists are offering them to their patients.
Improved Diagnosis
At Women for Women, 4D ultrasounds can help provide a clearer image of what is happening inside the woman. While these images are mainly used for pregnancy monitoring, they can also aid in the diagnosis of several congenital disabilities.
Ultrasound uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of inner structures and organs. A transducer sends these waves and returns as echoes picked up by the scanner and then deciphered into a picture.
While traditional 2D ultrasound is still used in most medical settings, 3D and 4D scanning can be much more advanced. These sonograms can show the fetus moving and breathing in real time, allowing doctors to make better diagnoses and plan treatments. It can also detect congenital disabilities like cleft lips and spinal cord problems that would be impossible to spot with 2D imaging. The images produced by a 4D ultrasound are also much cleaner, making them more precise.
Detection of Birth Defects
Fetal ultrasounds are essential because they allow doctors to see how well a fetus grows and develops. They check the fetus’s heart, head, spine, and sex to ensure they are developing typically. They also detect any congenital disabilities such as cleft lips or palates early on, allowing for a treatment plan to be created before the baby is born.
A 3D ultrasound combines the images into a video showing a fetus’s movement. For example, a doctor can see the fetus’s toes wiggle and a hand grasp. They can also observe if the baby is yawning or has similar hereditary habits like thumb-sucking.
A 4D ultrasound goes one step further by showing the movements of a fetus in real-time. This is an excellent way for parents to bond with their unborn child and share their excitement for the arrival of their new family member. Unfortunately, 3D and 4D ultrasounds are often performed at non-medical clinics that operate more like portrait studios than medical offices.
Increased Efficiency
In addition to providing a clearer view of the fetus, 4D ultrasound also allows medical professionals to observe fetal movement and stimuli response in real time. This will enable them to spot abnormalities approximately two weeks earlier than 2D scanning can, allowing doctors to take steps to remedy the situation or mitigate any complications that might arise.
However, it’s important to note that 3D and 4D ultrasounds performed outside of a medical setting for entertainment or bonding purposes may not be as accurate as those conducted by trained sonographers in the doctor’s office. This can lead to unnecessary anxiety or stress if the sonographer indicates an anomaly that is common and expected and delays in treatment if the sonogram shows a problem that is not present.
When it comes to having a 4D ultrasound, your appointment will be much like a regular ultrasound: you’ll lie down on a table, and we will apply gel to your belly and move a handheld probe around. We will let you and your family members watch as the images are captured, and we can even record video footage for keepsakes.