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Why use ultrasound

Ultrasound is used for a variety of reasons during pregnancy but health and safety stipulations warn that it should only be used for medical reasons. Why use ultrasound? The most basic reason is because it allows you to see your unborn baby and detect if there are any abnormalities with the fetus. If any problems are found, decisions can be made on what steps to take to protect the baby and the mother.

An ultrasound shows not only the shape and the size of the baby, but also all of its internal organs, with the heart, kidneys and lungs all visible on a screen. This means any problems that appear internally can be found and action can then be taken as to how to treat the problem, with some problems leading to an induced, early birth.

It is also a good way to find out the sex of your child; something that some parents choose to find out before birth and others choose to keep as a surprise. A more important function of ultrasound is to find out the due date. Knowing how far along in a pregnancy you are is vital so you can plan for the arrival of your baby as you cannot simply guess from the size of your stomach!

If you want to know more about using ultrasound during a pregnancy then go to your doctor, who can explain the process in further detail to you and answer any questions that you may have.