- Screening tests and scans: week 0–14
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- 7 Week Pregnant Ultrasound Scan - Huggies
- First pregnancy blood tests
Pregnancy these days can be a minefield of medical examination and testing, from the time you first do the home pregnancy test until the moment baby takes his or her first breath, and even after then. Most women accept the barrage of testing without question, feeling that the more information they can have, the better, whereas others opt out of some or all of them entirely. In New Zealand, the average woman will undergo three different scans during her pregnancy as standard practice: Many people will also use this one to find out the sex of the baby.
Screening tests and scans: week 0–14
Facebook and other social media sites are often awash with images expectant parents put up to share their growing baby with the world. So with all this in mind, we must ask the question: The vast majority of women will undergo at least one scan during pregnancy, generally aimed at ensuring the developing foetus is growing normally and is free from the myriad congenital abnormalities that can be viewed by sonography.
Generally the view is that the sooner you know about something, the easier it will be to treat and the better the outcome. However, there is also evidence that for all the good they can potentially do, ultrasounds could possibly be harmful to the growing fetus, being linked in recent years to various neurological problems, intra-uterine growth restriction, and other health problems, and the scans may not even make any significant difference to the outcomes for those infants in whom a congenital abnormality is detected.
There are a number of issues with ultrasound that many women may not be aware of, each of which could be the subject of an entire story — please consider this a mere overview! Firstly, the level of radiation exposure and dosage of ultrasound used varies across equipment, meaning broad differences in potential levels a fetus may be exposed to.
Many people are unaware that this is a form of pulsed ultrasound with much higher output than other forms, and that there are non-radiation alternatives available on request such as wooden pinard horns fetoscopes. It is known that ultrasound can cause thermal changes, where the waves are absorbed by some tissue which causes localized heating in bone especially, causing potential risks to the brain via the skull , and cavitation, where the ultrasound wave connects with tiny gas bubbles. This can cause them to move, expand, or collapse, resulting in changes at a cellular level in the developing bone and other tissue, the outcome of which has not been properly studied.
There are further studies linking ultrasound in pregnancy to left-handedness and to increased risk of dyslexia, and more recently the increased use of routine ultrasound has been connected to the ever-increasing epidemic of autism and Autism Spectrum Disorders, following worrying studies of brain development in mice.
As well as all this, and despite the use of ultrasound to monitor fetal growth, there are links between ultrasound and prematurity, and ultrasound and Intra-Uterine Growth Restriction. Whilst much of this research is fairly preliminary, and some has not been able to be replicated in later trials, there are some very persistent findings that do appear valid — the connection between ultrasound and left-handedness in particular. There are also issues to do with accuracy that can arise when things are apparently detected by ultrasound, that are worth considering prior to undergoing the scan.
What happens if, for example, a woman experiences bleeding early in pregnancy and is told after examination that no heartbeat is detected, and termination is recommended as the fetus has died.
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Likewise, if the nuchal translucency scan finds an increased chance of Down Syndrome, are you likely to want to abort the pregnancy? To go on to more invasive and potentially harmful assessment such as amniocentesis? Or to continue the pregnancy as normal and not worry about whether or not baby does indeed have such a difference? There are also studies showing that, despite the prevailing belief that if you find an anomaly early by way of ultrasound, it can improve the outcome for baby during and after birth, there is no difference in perinatal mortality or other outcomes between things being picked up antenatally or postnatally.
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Why would I have a dating scan?
How accurate is the test? What is the margin of error or rate of false positive or false negative results for this test? How long will it take for me receive the test results and who will report these to me? What would a positive result mean for me and my baby? What treatment would be recommended and how would it affect the care I receive from my LMC? What is the likely outcome if you choose not to have the test?
Blood and Urine Testing At one of your first pregnancy check-up visits, your LMC will give you a form to take to your local medical laboratory so you can have your blood and urine tested.
7 Week Pregnant Ultrasound Scan - Huggies
Your urine is tested to check for bacterial or fungal infection. Your blood can be tested to check for any of following: Rhesus Factor — to discover whether the Rhesus factor is present in your blood. If you have the Rhesus factor most people do you are Rhesus positive.
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If you do not have the Rhesus factor you are rhesus negative. White blood cell count — to check for infections. Full Blood Count, Folates and B12 — The levels of iron, folates and B12 in your blood are measured because deficiencies in any of these can lead to anaemia. Hepatitis B — to check whether you have antibodies to this virus, or are a carrier.
If you are a carrier you may pass this infection on to your baby. Rubella German measles — to check whether you have antibodies to this virus.
First pregnancy blood tests
If you have no rubella antibodies you need to be careful to stay away from people with this virus during the first 16 weeks of your pregnancy. If you catch Rubella at this time it can cause miscarriage or severe congenital abnormalities in your baby. VDRL — to check for sexually transmitted infections e. Ultrasound Scanning — this procedure produces a moving picture of your baby on a television-like screen and should only be performed by a radiologist or sonographer.
In New Zealand there are no laws covering the use of ultrasound during pregnancy etc. Procedures that use ultrasound scanning. Confirmation of pregnancy — Increasing numbers of women are being referred for an ultrasound scan to confirm their pregnancies.