Monday, July 18, 2011

USG In Early Pregnancy - What Is Its Significance?

Diagnosis of pregnancy is made on the basis of presence of the early symptoms of pregnancy, followed by detection of  HCG in the urine or blood of the pregnant woman through pregnancy tests. For further confirmation and evaluation of pregnancy, your gynaecologist may get an ultrasound examination done. Ultrasonography in early pregnancy serves three important purposes, such as:


#1. Confirms the diagnosis of pregnancy. ( In the previous post I have discussed why pregnancy tests sometimes fail to give the correct results.)


#2. Ascertains the age of the fetus (baby in your womb).

  • Gestational age estimated by Crown-Rump Length (CRL) is most accurate (variation +/- 5 days) in first trimester of pregnancy.

#3. Detects any abnormality in pregnancy, if present.


Characteristic features that are detected through TAUS( Trans Abdominal Ultra Sonography):

  • 5th week of Pregnancy - Small white gestational ring or gestational sac (GS) becomes evident.
  • 6th week of Pregnancy - Fetal pole and Yolk sac becomes evident.
  • 7th week of Pregnancy - Cardiac activity or heart beats of the baby can be detected.
  • 8th week of Pregnancy - Embryonic movements ( Movements of the baby in the womb)

With the use of vaginal probe in Trans Vaginal Ultra Sonography (TVUS) these features can be detected by 1 week earlier:
  • 4th week of Pregnancy - Small white gestational ring or gestational sac (GS) becomes evident.
  • 5th week of Pregnancy - Fetal pole and Yolk sac becomes evident.
  • 6th week of Pregnancy - Cardiac activity can be detected.
  • 7th week of Pregnancy - Embryonic movements ( Movements of the baby in the womb)



Also read:


How To Know If You Are Pregnant - 5 Early Signs


How To Confirm Pregnancy At Home


How Pregnancy Test Works


How To Avoid Pregnancy Naturally