Your Mid Pregnancy Scanning (Anomaly Scans)

During the course of your pregnancy, along the 18 and 22 weeks, you will be given the option to have a mid pregnancy scanning to check that your baby is developing normally. But how helpful mid-trimester scanning is?

Number of Fetus and Physical Abnormalities

Mid pregnancy ultrasound is also called anomaly scans. It will allow the physician to determine if there are anomalies present inside the womb or to the development of the baby. When an anomaly is determined, the doctor may recommend medical intervention so as to help with the medical condition.

There are some cases however where the doctor may suggest for termination of pregnancy. This happens when the fetus cannot survive long outside the womb or the pregnancy may endanger both the life of the mother and the baby. Some situations that will call for termination of pregnancy are the absence of a brain or kidneys and Edward's syndrome, a disorder of the chromosome which leads babies to survive only for a few weeks. If this happens, it is important that the physician is able to give support to the mother especially if the expectant mom decides to pursue with the pregnancy.

Aside from knowing possible fetal anomalies, the number of fetuses can also be determined and whether it is alive. Although rare, there are times where a twin may be missed. This occurs when the second fetus is already dead and may have been pressed against the womb, hiding it from the midtrimester scan pregnancy scans.

The Characteristic of the Fetus and Surrounding Areas

In addition to determining abnormalities and the number of fetus inside the womb, the mid pregnancy scanning can also verify the gender of the baby. The surrounding areas can also be observed like the adequacy of the volume of fluid inside the womb, the location of the placenta, and any targeted scans the doctor may recommend.

Some women may hesitate taking the pregnancy scans, although this is not mandatory, it is advised especially to pregnant women who belong to high risk group such as those with known genetic defects in either parents, the mother has a history of taking certain medications like anticonvulsants, a history of diabetes or epilepsy, or a mother in late 30s onwards. A targeted scan will be very helpful in trying to avoid complications in pregnancy.

It is important to remember that as a tool, a mid pregnancy scanning is very helpful, not only in helping give the mother her first look at her baby, but more importantly, in giving the parents a chance to help their baby should an abnormality be detected at this stage. Immediate and timely medical intervention can help the baby grow normally and well.