Ultrasound is included in the standard set of studies during pregnancy. Ultrasound is planned and unplanned, the planned one has clear deadlines and is screening for detection of congenital malformations and genetic pathology. The first ultrasound is carried out at 9-11 weeks, the second at 19-23, and the last ultrasound in pregnancy is carried out at 32-34 weeks.
Why conduct ultrasound trimester of pregnancy?
The third planned uzi during pregnancy is carried out for the following purposes:
- to assess the structural and functional state of the placenta (elimination of placental insufficiency);
- with the purpose of specification of a physical condition of a fetus (to exclude a delay of an intrauterine development) and its location in a cavity of a uterus (head, pelvic, cross);
- to carry out fetal biometrics (measuring the circumference of the head, hip and tummy), determine the conformity of the fetal size to the term of pregnancy.
How does the baby look on ultrasound in the third trimester of pregnancy?
On the ultrasound of the fetus for 30 weeks, it can be seen that the skin is no longer wrinkled, but smooth. The weight of the child is 1400 grams, and the height is 40 cm.
During the ultrasound at 32 weeks of gestation, you can see that the weight of the fetus is 1900 grams, and the height is 42 cm. The child is already very similar to a small man, he has all the organs formed, during ultrasound you can see his movements (thumb sucking, pushing with handles and legs). When carrying out ultrasound in 3D and 4D, you can see the baby's eyes.
Evaluation of fetal biometry at 32 weeks gestation:
- biparietal size in this period is equal to 75-89 mm;
- frontal-occipital size by ultrasound is 95-113 mm;
- the circumference of the fetal head is normally 283-325 mm;
- the circumference of the baby's belly in 32nd week is 258-314 mm.
When measuring long bones, the following results are normally obtained:
- the length of the femur is 56-66 cm;
- length of humerus - 52-62 cm;
- the length of the bones of the forearm is 45-53 cm;
- the length of the shin bones is 52-60 cm.
On ultrasound at 33 weeks of pregnancy, you can see that the weight of the child increased by 100 grams and was already 2 kg, and the growth was 44 cm.
Thanks to ultrasound, you can see that at the beginning of the third trimester of pregnancy, the baby is already fully formed and in the following months it will only grow actively and gain weight. Therefore, in the third trimester, it is very important that the future mother should eat rationally and not abuse flour and sweet.
Carrying out the third ultrasound in pregnancy involves conducting a doppler, in order to assess the blood flow in the arteries of the umbilical cord. In the presence of abnormalities, it is required to conduct doplerometry of the remaining vessels (middle cerebral artery, uterine arteries, aorta of the fetus).
Ultrasound in late pregnancy
Ultrasound after 34 weeks is unplanned and is performed according to indications. If a woman began to notice too active stirring of the fetus, too lethargic or even stopped hearing the stir. Another indication for ultrasound in late pregnancy is the presence of moderate bleeding from the genital tract
As we see, ultrasound at the 32nd week of pregnancy is an important diagnostic study that allows to diagnose the pathology of the placenta in time, as well as evaluate the development of the fetus (using biometrics) and its compliance with the gestation period. On ultrasound in the 3rd trimester, it is mandatory to perform an umbilical artery doppler.