3D Ultrasounds

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3D ultrasound is a step along from the traditional 2D examination used in medicine today.  Modern technology has made it possible to create increasingly lifelike and detailed images of the fetus while still in the womb.  More powerful computers and software can now produce wonderful images of the fetus inside the womb.  Never before have such clear pictures been available.

In a conventional 2D scan the ultrasound image is made up of a series of slices and can only be seen one at a time. Although the image is very informative, the picture you see does not really look like a baby.  With 3D ultrasound a series of echoes is taken from different angles which can be stored digitally and then shaded to produce life like pictures of the fetus.

3D Ultrasound is a progression of the traditional Ultrasound or Medical Sonography or Ultrasonography.   Where 2D ultrasound is sent straight down into the body and reflected directly back, 3D sound waves are sent from different angles.  This information is then processed by the ultrasound machine and reconstructed in a 3D image.  To make this image the computer uses standard 2D scan imagery and a technique called surface rendering to create the image you see.  The sound waves being reflected off surfaces from the different directions enable the machine to create a ‘map’ of your baby. 

It is now widely acknowledged that expectant parents and siblings react emotionally to images of the unborn.  The family bond with the baby is formed much earlier and is measurably stronger when you can see it moving around inside womb as with a 3D/4D ultrasound.  Being able to see it again at home only helps the family bond together and prepare for the impending birth.

Medical evidence seems almost unanimous that these new types of ultrasound add a lot to the pregnancy experience.  Much of the evidence is difficult to understand unless you are a doctor, so I have tried to provide a few quotes below.  They are direct quotations taken from the source, credit to the respective authors for their work. 

Here are just four of many excerpts from medical journals from around the world.

Journal: Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology. 25(5):473-7, 2005 May.

Authors E K Ji and others from the Department of Radiology, CHA General Hospital, Pochon CHA University, Seoul, Republic of Korea published an article titled ‘Effects of ultrasound on maternal-fetal bonding: a comparison of two- and three-dimensional imaging’ in May 2005. Their study had shown that ‘Patients having a 3D ultrasound examination consistently scored higher than those having a 2D ultrasound examination alone for all categories of maternal-fetal bonding’. 

Journal of Ultrasound in Medicine. 24(12):1599-624, 2005 Dec.

The article published in this prestigious journal looked at over 500 scientific articles on this subject. The results of the various studies reported in those articles clearly showed that Three-dimensional ultrasound provides additional diagnostic information for the diagnosis of facial anomalies, especially facial clefts. There was also evidence that 3D baby ultrasound provides additional diagnostic information in neural tube defects and skeletal malformations. It was also concluded that additional research was needed to determine the clinical role of 3D/4D ultrasound for the diagnosis of congenital heart disease and central nervous system anomalies.

Journal: Current Opinion in Obstetrics & Gynecology. 14(6):569-75, 2002 Dec.

I.E. Timor-Tritsch and L.D.Platt wrote an article in this publication in December 2002 titled ‘Three-dimensional ultrasound experience in obstetrics’. It was a review article of over 60 published scientific papers on the subject of 3D ultrasound. in the article, these authors said: The advantages of 3D and 4D baby ultrasound in certain clinical areas are unequivocal. Its use in the workup of fetal anomalies involving the face, limbs, thorax, spine and the central nervous system are already applied by most centers. The use of this technology in applying colour Doppler, in guiding needles for different puncture procedures as well as in the evaluation of the fetal heart are under close research scrutiny. The bonding effect between the parents and their future offspring is becoming more and more evident as 3D ultrasound is used.

Journal: Obstetrics & Gynecology. 98(6):1099-103, 2001 Dec.

In December 2001,researchers B Woelfer and others from the Early Pregnancy and Gynaecology Assessment Unit at King’s College, London published results of their study under an article titled ‘Reproductive outcomes in women with congenital uterine anomalies detected by three-dimensional ultrasound screening’. In this, they had looked at reproductive outcomes in women with congenital uterine anomalies detected incidentally by 3D scanning. The conclusion was that these women were more likely to have adverse pregnancy outcomes than women with a normal uterus. This is an unexpected ‘benefit’ of this technology as it will allow the mother with this risk factor to be identified and therefore allow optimal measures to be put in place to maximize the chances of a favourable pregnancy outcome.

So not only do you have anecdotal evidence from your friends and other mothers who have experienced these scans, but scientific evidence to back it up.  It is a truly unmissable experience that every expectant mother should enjoy.

A 3D ultrasound gives you not only a clear image of your unborn child, but added peace of mind that everything is healthy and as it should be.  Being pregnant is stressful enough sometimes, so the more worry and concern that can be removed from the experience the better and more enjoyable your pregnancy will be.  These 3D scans are a ‘value-add’ service which are in addition to your standard prenatal care.  It is a double check of everything, plus a more ‘emotional’ experience that your physician may not have the time and resource to assist you with.  You are not normally permitted family members in your normal prenatal appointments, but with the extra 3D/4D ones, you will be actively encouraged to include your immediate family in the experience.  Then you can all benefit from the joy it brings.