Having an obstetrical ultrasound is undoubtedly on your bucket list if you are pregnant. Getting to meet your kid for the first time is a beautiful experience! However, there are many prevalent misconceptions regarding ultrasounds that might distort expectations and anxieties. Ultrasound is a well-known medical diagnostic technique, particularly in prenatal care. Pregnant women typically get their first glimpse of their unborn child during an ultrasound Buckhead, which also gives their OB-GYN or Midwife a chance to check on the baby’s health and development.
However, misunderstandings about ultrasonography have emerged throughout time due to popular media portrayals of ultrasound technologies. You may feel more confident and at ease during and after your exam by dispelling some of the most frequent misconceptions regarding ultrasounds.
Ultrasounds are harmful to a baby’s health.
There is no evidence that ultrasounds damage the fetus in any way. Even if there are potential hazards, skilled sonographers adhere to safety standards that restrict the examination duration and keep power levels low enough to collect the essential information.
Ultrasounds use radiation.
This is not accurate at all. Ultrasounds are non-invasive, high-frequency sound waves that bounce off the body’s interior structures and provide an image of what is happening. CT and X-rays employ radiation as a source of energy.
Ultrasounds provide a perfect image.
Pop culture often depicts ultrasonic imaging as something like an image. It’s vital to remember the inherent limits of the technology even when high-resolution pictures are produced during this examination. Ultrasound is not a foolproof method. Especially in the following areas, mistakes or miscalculations are possible:
- An ultrasound at 11 weeks may accurately determine the baby’s gender 70% of the time. At 13 weeks, this accuracy rises to roughly 97%. However, your ultrasound provider may have difficulty determining the gender of your kid if your newborn is crossing their legs or if there are other blockages.
- An ultrasound can give you a rough estimate of your baby’s weight based on their measurements. However, these estimations might be incorrect by as much as 10% to 20%. Nevertheless, even with this mistake, these measures give a good baseline for tracking your baby’s development throughout your pregnancy.
It is crucial to remember that the pictures on an ultrasound don’t always show what you expect them to. If you have had an ultrasound, your OB-GYN or Midwife will review the results to get an accurate picture of your baby’s health.
You should avoid eating before having an ultrasound.
Pregnant women and women requiring a pelvic scan will not be affected by this. However, if you’re having an upper abdominal ultrasound, this is much more crucial, and the Ultrasound Care staff will let you know about it before your appointment.
You should not get an ultrasound in the first 12 weeks.
You should avoid excessive ultrasound appointments, but there is no proof that early treatments have any harmful impact on your baby.
In recent days on the internet, there are even more popular fallacies regarding ultrasounds. It would help to know that ultrasounds are regular and safe diagnostic procedures. There’s no guarantee, though, that you will not have any queries or worries. Your OB-GYN or Midwife is the most excellent source for personalized answers.