| Obstetric ultrasound can be used to: |
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| 1. Date the pregnancy and estimate the expected date of confinement
(EDC) |
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- this is valuable when the last menstrual period is not sure or
inaccurate |
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- this can be achieved by measuring the size of the fetus |
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| 2. Viability |
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- when a pregnant woman has abdominal pain or vaginal bleeding,
fetal viability is a concern |
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- fetal heart beat can be seen |
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| 3. Determine location of fetus |
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- to see the pregnancy is located in the right place (inside uterus)
or abnormal place (outside uterus or called ectopic pregnancy) |
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| 4. Check the location of the placenta in relation to the cervix |
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- a low-lying placenta can cause vaginal bleeding |
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| 5. Check for the number of fetuses |
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- singleton or multiple pregnancy |
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- multiple pregnancy is associated with more complications than
singleton pregnancy |
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| 6. Check for fetal abnormalities |
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- About 3% of pregnancy may be complicated by fetal abnormalities |
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- the use of ultrasound can detect some fetal abnormalities |
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| 7. Assess fetal growth |
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- to look for fetal growth problem |
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| 8. Assess fetal well-being |
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| However, not all fetal abnormalities can be detected by prenatal
ultrasound. Besides, false positive detection may result in patients
being warned of birth defects when no such defect exists. |
