Editing Prenatal care (section)

== Prenatal Ultrasounds ==
[[Obstetric ultrasonography|Obstetric ultrasound]]s are most commonly performed during the second trimester at approximately week 20. Ultrasounds are considered relatively safe and have been used for over 35 years for monitoring pregnancy.
Among other things, ultrasounds are used to:{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}
* Diagnose pregnancy (uncommon)
* Check for the number of fetuses (e.g., twins, triplets, etc.) 
* Assess possible risks to the mother (e.g., [[miscarriage]], [[blighted ovum]], [[ectopic pregnancy]], or a [[molar pregnancy]] condition)
* Check for fetal malformation (e.g., [[club foot]], [[spina bifida]], [[cleft palate]], clenched fists)
* Determine if an [[intrauterine growth retardation]] condition exists
* Note the development of fetal body parts (e.g., [[heart]], [[brain]], [[liver]], [[stomach]], [[human skull|skull]], other [[bone]]s)
* Check the [[amniotic fluid]] and [[umbilical cord]] for possible problems
* Determine the due date and how far along the mother is based on measurements and relative developmental progress
Generally, an ultrasound is ordered whenever an abnormality is suspected, or along a schedule similar to the following:{{citation needed|date=January 2025}}
* 7 weeks — confirm pregnancy, ensure that it's neither molar nor ectopic, determine due date
* 13–14 weeks (some areas) — evaluate the possibility of [[Down syndrome]]
* 18–20 weeks — see the expanded list above
* 34 weeks (some areas) — evaluate the size, verify the placental position

A review looking at routine ultrasounds past 24 weeks found that there is no evidence to show any benefits to the mother or the baby.<ref>{{cite journal |last1=Bricker |first1=L |last2=Medley |first2=N |last3=Pratt |first3=JJ |date=29 June 2015 |title=Routine ultrasound in late pregnancy (after 24 weeks' gestation). |journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |volume=2015 |issue=6 |pages=CD001451 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD001451.pub4 |pmc=7086401 |pmid=26121659}}</ref>

Early scans mean that multiple pregnancies can be detected at an early stage of pregnancy<ref name="pmid26171896">{{cite journal |last1=Whitworth |first1=M |last2=Bricker |first2=L |last3=Mullan |first3=C |date=14 July 2015 |title=Ultrasound for fetal assessment in early pregnancy. |journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |volume=2015 |issue=7 |pages=CD007058 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD007058.pub3 |pmc=4084925 |pmid=26171896}}</ref> and also gives more accurate due dates so that fewer women are induced who do not need to be.<ref name="pmid26171896" />

Levels of feedback from the ultrasound can differ. High feedback is when the parents can see the screen and are given a detailed description of what they can see.<ref name="pmid26241793">{{cite journal |last1=Nabhan |first1=AF |last2=Aflaifel |first2=N |date=4 August 2015 |title=High feedback versus low feedback of prenatal ultrasound for reducing maternal anxiety and improving maternal health behaviour in pregnancy. |journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |volume=2015 |issue=8 |pages=CD007208 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD007208.pub3 |pmc=6486291 |pmid=26241793}}</ref> Low feedback is when the findings are discussed at the end and the parents are given a picture of the ultrasound.<ref name="pmid26241793" /> The different ways of giving feedback affect how much the parents worry and the mother's health behaviour, although there is not enough evidence to make clear conclusions.<ref name="pmid26241793" /> In a small study, mothers receiving high feedback were more likely to stop smoking and drinking alcohol, however, the quality of the study is low, and more research is needed to say for certain which type of feedback is better.<ref name="pmid26241793" />

Women experiencing a complicated pregnancy may have a test called a Doppler ultrasound to look at the blood flow to their unborn baby.<ref name="pmid25874722">{{cite journal |last1=Alfirevic |first1=Z |last2=Stampalija |first2=T |last3=Medley |first3=N |date=15 April 2015 |title=Fetal and umbilical Doppler ultrasound in normal pregnancy. |journal=The Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews |volume=4 |issue=4 |pages=CD001450 |doi=10.1002/14651858.CD001450.pub4 |pmc=4171458 |pmid=25874722}}</ref> This is performed to detect signs that the baby is not getting a normal blood flow and therefore is 'at risk'. A review looked at performing Doppler ultrasounds on all women, even if they were at 'low risk' of having complications.<ref name="pmid25874722" /> The review found that routine Doppler ultrasounds may have reduced the number of preventable baby deaths, but the evidence was not strong enough to recommend that they should be made routine for all pregnant women.<ref name="pmid25874722" />