Being pregnant for the first time is exciting and hectic at the same time, like going on a roller coaster ride. Pregnant women may have million questions on their mind about the growth and well being of the baby along with the symptoms of pregnancy. This article will help you understand the importance of ultrasound scan performed in the first trimester.

Ultrasound scan is one of the routine tests in pregnancy which determines the normal development of the baby and helps to identify any abnormalities, if present. This is a painless procedure which doesn’t have any known side effects to the mother and the baby.

How is it performed? During ultrasound scan, a small amount of gel will be applied on your abdomen and the physician will run the transducer over it. This will send high frequency sound waves into the uterus and reflects back the internal structures of the baby in the form of images on the monitor. This procedure normally takes around 25-30 minutes and the image can be printed or copied as a video.
Why is it performed?

• To arrive at the pregnancy due date and confirm it by measuring the size of the fetus. This will help pregnant women who have irregular menstrual cycle or who can’t recollect the date of their last period.
• To check the heart beat of the baby and confirm the normal development.
• To check the number of babies in the uterus and if there are twins, the scan will help to identify whether they are identical or not.
• To detect if there are any fetal abnormalities.

Usually, the scan is performed within 13 weeks and 6 days of pregnancy. However, consult your gynecologist who can provide you the right time to perform this scan as per your health conditions. To know more about the ultrasound scans performed in the later stages of pregnancy,