Expecting a baby is exciting for many parents. The thought of either bringing your first child into the world or adding another child to your family can be overwhelming and emotional. With today's technology, it is often possible to determine...
Ultrasound technology uses sound waves to image internal structures of the body. Traditional ultrasound creates a two-dimensional image, but newer devices give the capability of visualizing organs in 3-D or 4-D. Doppler ultrasound also records...
A baby sonogram, also known as an ultrasound, is a common procedure during a pregnancy. Sonograms emit high frequency sound waves from a transducer placed on the mother's abdomen. The fetus is scanned by rays of repetitive ultrasound beams that...
Finding out the sex of the unborn baby is an exciting time for new parents. According to the American Pregnancy Association, ultrasounds can often determine the gender of the baby between 18 and 20 weeks gestation. Ultrasounds are not 100 percent...
Ultrasound equipment is used to image internal structures and organs by bouncing sound waves off of these tissues and using a computer to interpret and present the results. A trained ultrasound technician, or sonographer, can read these images and...
Announcing the gender of a new baby to family and friends can be a creative and memorable experience. Some parents wait until the birth of their baby to announce "it's a girl" or "it's a boy," whereas others announce the gender after an obstetric...
Few things are more exciting than following the development of your unborn baby when you have found out you're pregnant. Despite the advanced technology of the 21st century, your baby, beginning as just about the size of a tip on a pen, and...
Now that you know you're pregnant, there's only one thing left to do--figure out when your baby is due. The average pregnancy lasts 40 weeks, and a normal pregnancy can last anywhere from 38 to 42 weeks. According to WomensHealth.gov, only 5...
A normal pregnancy is counted as 40 weeks, and is counted from day one of the last menstrual period. At the time of a missed period, a woman is considered to be four weeks pregnant. Early signs of pregnancy can only be detected by blood tests or...
Ultrasound machines work by emitting very high frequency sound waves at 3.5 to 7 MHz, or megahertz. Sound waves change wavelength as they cross the line between mediums. With an ultrasound machine, a single beam of sound is emitted into the...
An ultrasound machine uses sound waves in the range of 3.5 to 7.0 megahertz to image internal structures. Ultrasound, also known as sonography, can be used for diagnosis, to provide visualization in real time during surgery and to look at a fetus...
Down syndrome, a congenital chromosomal disorder that causes physical anomalies and developmental delays, affects approximately 1 in 700 to 800 people, the Mayo Clinic reports. People with Down syndrome have an extra copy of chromosome number 21....
Pregnancy is a time of happy anticipation, but it can also be a time of worry. Every mother is concerned about her baby's health and the sound of a healthy heartbeat brings great relief. Relief can easily turn to anxiety if you think the heartbeat...
Parents-to-be are often eager to find out the gender of their baby. Sometimes the desire is practical, with parents wanting to purchase nursery decorations or clothing tailored to the gender of their baby. Others may have sex-linked genetic...
Having an estimate of your baby's prenatal weight can be useful, as this information can provide knowledge about possible birth defects, developmental problems or future delivery complications. Your doctor may base the method or timing of delivery...
A pregnancy test that diagnosed pregnancy the morning after conception would make a fortune. Whether they're hoping for a "yes" or a "no" answer, millions of women each year anxiously await the answer results of a test that tells them whether or...
Before the advent of routine ultrasound in pregnancy, medical personnel estimated a baby's due date by the date of the last menstrual period and by feeling the uterus and determining the size to see if it matched the given due date. With...
An ultrasound is a procedure that uses high-frequency sound waves to scan your abdomen, creating a picture, or sonogram, of your baby and placenta. Ultrasounds are used throughout your pregnancy to keep track of your baby's development and to look...
Checking the fetal heart rate gives important clues into an unborn baby's health and well being. Even as early as 6 weeks into a pregnancy, assessing the fetal heartbeat can help doctors determine if potential problems with the pregnancy exist....
Ultrasound pictures are created by bouncing high frequency sound waves off body tissue. A transducer is used to convert energy into sound waves and then record pictures on the ultrasound screen. Ultrasound is often used in pregnancy, not only to...
Ultrasound is frequently performed during pregnancy to assess the health and growth of the baby in the womb. Most women who have their prenatal exams in a hospital setting will undergo at least one ultrasound, and many mothers-to-be will have more...
How early you know your unborn baby's gender is a matter of what method you use to determine it. From advanced medical techniques to old wives tales, there are many ways to predict whether you'll be bringing a boy or girl into the world. If you...
Many medical personnel suggest having an ultrasound around 20 weeks of pregnancy to check for possible physical problems with the baby, or the placenta or fluid inside the uterus. While you can refuse a scan around 20 weeks, most expectant parents...
During the course of her prenatal visits, a pregnant woman will likely encounter a few different Doppler tests. While it is sometimes used as part of a more comprehensive exam, Doppler technology can also be used alone. Doppler testing helps...
How early you can tell the gender of your baby depends on the method of detection you use. You might want to know your baby's gender so that you can choose an appropriate name, or you might need to know if your baby is at increased risk for...
While embryos are male or female from the day of conception, gender isn't obvious on ultrasound until at least 12 weeks, and more often 16 to 20 weeks, Dr. Joseph Woo of Hong Kong states in Obstetric Ultrasound. Male and females fetuses have...
An ultrasound machine works on the basic principle of using sound waves to image or treat parts of the body. Ultrasound, also known as sonography, imaging occurs in real time, with a monitor to view the structures being imaged or acted upon....
Fetal ultrasound is a common test using sound waves to measure progress and detect potential abnormalities of a developing fetus. Until recently, obstetric ultrasound was considered safe, the gold standard in fetal diagnostics. In addition to...
Demonstration of ultrasound use. Learn about obstetrics from a doctor in this video on understanding pregnancy.
Demonstration of ultrasound use. Learn about obstetrics from a doctor in this video on understanding pregnancy.
