Ultrasound options in pregnancy are no longer limited to the grainy, still 2-D images. As of 2010, 3-D and 4-D images are available that give a better picture of the unborn child's features and behavior. Sometimes called dynamic 3-D ultrasound, 4-D ultrasound adds movement to a 3-dimensional picture.
Technology
Four-dimensional ultrasound uses the same basic technology of 2-D and 3-D scans, sending ultrasound waves through the mother's abdomen and interpreting the returning sound waves as a visual image. The 4-D ultrasound links many 3-D images together and animates them.
Images
While a conventional 2-D ultrasound produces static indistinct images, 3-D and 4-D images are much clearer and can show finer detail. The 4-D images produce the same quality picture as 3-D but have the added benefit of showing movement of the fetus. Parents-to-be who view a 4-D ultrasound can view their baby smiling, yawning, scratching, kicking, opening and closing his hands and sucking his thumb.
Medical Uses
Because of the greater level of detail seen in 4-D scans, doctors can diagnose problems more accurately. The movements of the fetus can reveal potential health issues. Doctors can also view in real time the action of bodily systems such as the fetal circulatory system and digestive tract and assess sleep-wake cycles of the baby.
Entertainment Scans
Entertainment scans are 4-D ultrasound scans performed outside of a medical setting for pure entertainment value. Independent 3-D/4-D ultrasound centers offer these scans to allow the parents-to-be to view their baby and obtain a recording on DVD of their unborn child moving around in the womb. The technicians who perform these scans are typically untrained and cannot offer diagnosis, analysis or medical advice based on the sonogram.
Bonding
Viewing a 4-D ultrasound may help parents-to-be bond with their unborn infant. The level of detail can help them better visualize what the baby looks like and seeing the baby's actions has more emotional impact than a still photograph.
Research
Since 4-D technology is relatively new, it allows doctors to observe motions in the womb that were not previously directly observable. This information is valuable to researchers studying fetal development, since it may give a better idea of normal and abnormal activity in utero. If parents are willing to share the results of their 4-D scans with researchers, it could help doctors of the future diagnose problems in the womb that might show up as behavioral differences in fetuses that have particular birth defects or genetic abnormalities.
