Ultrasound

Ultrasound

An ultrasound scan, sometimes called a sonogram, is a procedure that uses high frequency sound waves to create an image of part of the inside of the body.

Ultrasounds are often used to diagnose and monitor pregnancies:

• Check the size, position, heart rate, and age of the unborn baby
• See if there is more than one baby
• Screen for:
  1. Genetic disorders
  2. Birth defects
• Check the amount of amniotic fluid (the liquid in the sac surrounding an unborn baby) and the location of the placenta
• Guide the collection of test samples taking during amniocentesis and chorionic villus sampling (CVS)