Prenatal and Fetal Ultrasounds

900 Words2 Pages

Before the mid-1950’s, a pregnant woman would go through some major problems with her body and baby. There is no way of looking at the insides of our bodies and judging what is happening exactly. A woman would not know she is pregnant until she was showing and her menstruation was delayed. Therefore, that meant the due date of the baby was unknown. Furthermore, a woman would not know the baby’s health, including the amount of amniotic fluid surrounding the baby. Woman all over the globe faced problems with pregnancy, until the Ultrasound was introduced. Ultrasound is an imaging technique that use high-frequency sound waves, inaudible to the human ear, to produce somewhat precise images of the insides of the abdomen. A device called the transducer is used to transmit the sound waves through the abdomen. Specifically Prenatal and Fetal ultrasounds, which view the inside of a pregnant woman’s abdomen and the fetus. Prenatal and Fetal ultrasound images can determine and evaluate the development of the baby; including its health, age, weight, and the gender and if any abnormalities exist. It is also a chance to study your baby’s profile months before the baby is delivered. Furthermore, it determines the location of the placenta, the amount of amniotic fluid around the baby and the position of the baby.

There are two main procedures in which take place during the Ultrasound examination: Transvaginal ultrasound and Transabdominal ultrasound. The Transvaginal ultrasound is when a wand-like transducer is put into the woman’s vagina to transmit the sound waves and produce the image. Transabdominal on the other hand, is when a flat-surfaced transducer is moved over the woman’s abdomen. Each procedure is used at different stages of the ...

... middle of paper ...

... 2013. .
"The Risks, Benefits and Future of Ultrasound." Ultrasound Technician Center. N.p., n.d. Web. 05 Dec. 2013. .
Staff, Mayo Clinic. "Definition." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 06 Oct. 2012. Web. 07 Dec. 2013. .
"Ultrasonography." Expert Consult. N.p., n.d. Web. 7 Dec. 2013. .
"What You Need to Know About the Prenatal Ultrasound." WebMD. WebMD, 04 Apr. 0000. Web. 07 Dec. 2013. .

Show More
Related

  • Ultrasound Technician Essay

    762 Words  | 2 Pages

    As an ultrasound technician/sonographer I will have the ability to see dangerous defects within the human anatomy and begin a lifelong profession with many benefits. The Ultrasound was first invented in the early 1900’s and was surprisingly not used to produce photos of a fetus. In 1917 Paul Langen a marine life scientist used a form of ultrasound equipment in his attempt to detect submarines. After many failed attempts at using high frequency sound waves Dr. Ian Donald and his team in Glasgow, Scotland invented the first ultrasound machine in 1957. Dr. Donald even tested his machine on patients within a year of completing the invention, by the late 1950’s ultrasounds became routine in Glasgow hospitals.

    Read More

  • Hypoplastic Left Heart Syndrome Essay

    2105 Words  | 5 Pages

    During pregnancy an echocardiogram of the fetus can be done to produce images of the heart by sending ultrasonic sound waves to the vital organ. These sound waves create an image for the physician to analyze the babies heart function, structure sizes, and blood flow. A positive diagnosis before birth has shown to improve chances of survival, and will allow for appropriate care to be readily available at birth. If a baby is born without being diagnosed with the heart defect, some symptoms previous noted such as low oxygen levels can be suggestive of hypoplastic left heart syndrome. The baby may not display any symptoms or signs for hours after birth because of the openings allowing for blood to be pumped to the rest of the body. However, listening to the babies heart can revel a murmur indicating an irregular flow of blood in the heart. If a murmur is heard, or signs of the defect are observed, diagnostic tests will be ordered and performed. An echocardiogram is still the go-to test once the baby is born to evaluate the heart. The echocardiogram will diagnose the newborn, by revealing the underdeveloped left ventricle, mitral and aortic valve, and the ascending aorta commonly seen in

    Read More

  • Diagnostic Medical Sonography: A Sound Wave Away from Diagnosis

    2327 Words  | 5 Pages

    Diagnostic medical sonography is a profession where sonographers direct high-frequency sound waves into a patient’s body through the use of specific equipment to diagnose or monitor a patient’s medical condition. As described by the Bureau of Labor Statistics, this examination is referred to as an ultrasound, sonogram, or echocardiogram. The high-frequency sound waves emitted from the handheld device, called a transducer, bounce back creating an echo and therefore produce an image that can be viewed on the sonographers computer screen. This image provides the sonographer and physician with an internal image of the patient’s body that will be used in the diagnosis. The most familiar use of ultrasound is used in monitoring pregnancies and is provided by obstetric and gynecologic sonographers, who also provide imaging of the female reproductive system. Other types of sonography include; abdominal sonography, breast sonography, musculoskeletal sonography, neurosonography and cardiovascular sonography. Due to the vast nature of uses in sonography, most professionals study one field that they choose to specialize in. Diagnostic medical sonography is a rapidly growing field because of the increase in medical advances. The area of Cleveland, Ohio has continued to rise in the medical field with great strides, providing better career prospects with the availability of numerous employment positions.

    Read More

  • The Effects of Placenta Previa

    912 Words  | 2 Pages

    Mazel, Sharon, and Heidi E. Murkoff. "Placenta Previa." What To Expect When You Are Expecting. 4th ed. New York: Workman Publisher, 2008. 552-53.

    Read More

  • The Physics of Ultrasound

    892 Words  | 2 Pages

    In general, ultrasound waves produced by an instrument called transducer are sent into a patient. Some of the waves are absorbed, but the other portion of these waves are reflected when tissue and organ boundaries are encountered. The echoes produced by the reflected waves are then picked up by the transducer and translated in a visible picture often referred to as ultrasound. In the paragraphs that follow, the physics of how the transducer functions, what the ultrasound waves do, and how the image is formed will be explained.

    Read More

  • Childhood Obesity Issue

    1746 Words  | 4 Pages

    Staff, Mayo Clinic. "Definition." Mayo Clinic. Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research, 04 May 2012. Web. 27 Oct. 2013.

    Read More

  • Tobacco Cigarettes vs. Electronic Cigarettes

    692 Words  | 2 Pages

    U.S. National Library of Medicine, 26 Sept. 2011. Web. The Web. The Web. 19 Nov. 2013.

    Read More

  • Career in Ultrasound

    2029 Words  | 5 Pages

    Obstetric Ultrasound -- a Comprehensive Guide to Ultrasound Scans in Pregnancy. Mar. 2006. Web. 13 Apr. 2011. .

    Read More

  • Sonography Essay

    1003 Words  | 3 Pages

    Ultrasound Technicians are very valuable in the world of health care. Also known as Diagnostic Medical Sonographer, an Ultrasound Technician uses special machines and equipment that operates on sound waves to determine or diagnose medical problems for patients. There are specializations within this field in which some individuals explore. For instance, areas of specialization includes but not limited to; pregnancy, heart health, gynecology, and abdominal sonography. Although each specializing branch has its own distinctive function, they all involve probing the body to facilitate doctors with diagnoses.

    Read More

  • Pros and Cons of Genetic Testing

    1221 Words  | 3 Pages

    JAMA: Journal of the American Medical Association. 14 Nov. 2001: 2322. Academic Search Complete. Web.

    Read More

  • Genetic Interventions and the Ethics of Enhancement of Human Beings by Julian Savulescu

    3287 Words  | 7 Pages

    Web. The Web. The Web. 1 Apr 2011. http://www.medicalnewstoday.com/articles/150999.php>.

    Read More

  • Abortion Essay

    1023 Words  | 3 Pages

    The process of human development is very complex. It is a continual process, providing gradual development for the fetus. Some of the most important factors to fetal development such as blood flow, heart beats, muscle development, and brain activity can all be determined within the first seven weeks of pregnancy (Baby Developme...

    Read More

  • Electronic Fetal Monitoring Essay

    1565 Words  | 4 Pages

    Thus the reason fetal monitoring is important in the case of

    Read More

  • Is Suicide the Solution?

    1534 Words  | 4 Pages

    Ed. David Zieve. U.S. National Library of Medicine, 26 Feb. 2014. Web. The Web.

    Read More

  • Food and Nutrition

    1454 Words  | 3 Pages

    "MedlinePlus - Health Information from the National Library of Medicine." National Library of Medicine - National Institutes of Health. Web. 06 Mar. 2011.

    Read More

More about Prenatal and Fetal Ultrasounds

Open Document