3D/4D Ultrasound
Seeing Your Baby for the First Time
Incredible, amazing, emotional, truly indescribable—these are just some of the descriptions parents have used after seeing their beautiful babies for the first time. Watching their movements and mannerisms, facial expressions, and features—parents, grandparents, and friends alike all excitedly try to decide who the baby resembles.
What makes this truly an amazing experience is that it is all happening months before the baby is born, while baby is still in the womb!
Ultrasound scans have been a commonplace part of pre-natal care and been used safely in obstetrics for over 35 years, since they were introduced into the field by Professor Ian MacDonald in the 1960s. Today, thanks to the latest state-of-the-art 3D and 4D ultrasound scanning equipment, parents can see their unborn baby in incredible detail, revealing facial features, expressions, and even movement, from as early as 12 weeks.
The 3D Ultrasound Scan uses the same technique as the traditional 2D scan. However, instead of producing a single flat image it takes a series of readings, which are processed by a computer. These are stored digitally, shaded and colored to produce a three-dimensional look at the baby's body, including contours of the face, arms and legs. The fourth dimension of the ultrasound is motion, as parents are able to watch their baby in 3D move around the uterus.
Ultrasound scanning offers parents the opportunity to see their babies like never before, creating an incredibly intimate bonding experience. It is one thing to feel your baby move but quite another to see that those movements are not only feet kicking, but also hands waving, thumbs being sucked, stretching and yawning and even smiles! Studies have shown that the 3D fetal visualization can help create greater bonding between mother and baby, help in alleviating maternal anxiety and reduce the risk of post-natal depression as well as enabling the fathers to feel more connected to the pregnancy, strengthening their bond with their child.
Utilizing the new 3D/4D ultrasound technology is becoming a new trend among parents. Expectant parents everywhere are opting for elective 4D ultrasounds, believing it will have a positive impact on their pregnancy, even helping siblings to share in the experience and bond with their new brother or sister. However, keep in mind, elective ultrasound should only be used to compliment diagnostic ultrasounds prescribed by your physician and never as a replacement for prenatal care. A routine Ultrasound diagnostic examination should be completed to confirm their due date, screen for fetal anomalies and look for any other pregnancy related issues.
Extensive studies have found that Ultrasound has not been shown to cause any harm to mother or baby and routine ultrasounds are the norm throughout the United States. 4D ultrasound presents images with incredible surface detail not possible with traditional 2D ultrasound. The 3D/4D ultrasound technology utilizes the same sound wave technology as 2D; however instead of the sound wave being sent straight down and reflected back, they are sent at different angles. The returning reflections are processed by a highly sophisticated computer program. The resulting images are displayed with incredible surface details which delineates facial and body features.
Elective 3D/4D ultrasound is available to allow parents to see their little one before it is born, and more and more are having it done. There's definitely a lot of tears when parents see their baby. Just seeing that little face before it is born can be a fantastic experience so make sure that you benefit from this amazing technology and who knows you might just catch your baby's first beautiful smile.
