Does transducer ultrasound affect the fetus?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article was professionally consulted by MSc, Dr. Trinh Thi Thanh Huyen - Obstetrician and Gynecologist - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Hai Phong International General Hospital
During transvaginal ultrasound, the doctor moves the device around the pregnant woman's vagina so that it does not touch the cervix. This will not cause any damage to the cervix and uterus, so the fetus will still be protected.

1. Learn about transducer ultrasound in pregnant women

Transducer ultrasound is a type of pelvic ultrasound performed by a specialist doctor to examine, diagnose and detect pathologies in the uterus, fallopian tubes, ovaries, cervix and vagina of women. .
During the ultrasound, the doctor will put a specialized ultrasound probe inside the vaginal canal, using high-frequency sound waves exposed through the vaginal opening to display in-depth, high-precision images. .
For women in the early stages of pregnancy, transducer ultrasound will help doctors determine the exact position of the fetus to detect ectopic pregnancy. This is extremely important in preventing complications if the ectopic pregnancy breaks out such as intra-abdominal infection, fallopian tube rupture, .. but the abdominal ultrasound cannot show the embryo.
As a method used in the early stages of pregnancy, many pregnant women must wonder if it is possible to have transducer ultrasound at the early stages of pregnancy like 2, 3 weeks? Accordingly, during these weeks, the fetus is still in the early stages of implantation, although the embryo has been formed, it still takes a long time for the embryo sac to enter the uterus and implant.
Therefore, if you want to have a transducer ultrasound at 3 weeks or earlier, it is best for pregnant women to wait another 1 to 2 weeks because a 3 week old transducer ultrasound will be too early and inaccurate. Transducer ultrasounds will also not give certain results at this time and may even affect the embryo.
If you are too impatient to know if you are pregnant or not in the early stages, doctors say the best method is to do a blood test. This is the most accurate way to know.
So in the case of 8 weeks pregnant, 9 weeks pregnant, abdominal ultrasound or transducer? Both methods can be used for ultrasound, because transducer ultrasound has the effect of assessing fetal heart rate at 6-9 weeks of pregnancy. This will help pregnant women recognize the status of the fetus as well as detect early fetal heart abnormalities.
Usually transvaginal ultrasound is done in women who are newly pregnant. However, there are cases where the fetus is large, the placenta is attached, the fetal head is turned downward to obscure the sound waves, causing the doctor to suspect placenta previa. At that time, the doctor will conduct transducer ultrasound to see the position of the placenta.

2. Transducer ultrasound affects the fetus?

The insertion of such a medical device into the vagina, many pregnant women will worry that transducer ultrasound will affect the fetus? Does it touch the fetus?
However, obstetricians said that during transducer ultrasound, the doctor moves the device around the pregnant mother's vagina so that it does not touch the cervix. This will not cause any damage to the cervix and uterus. Therefore, pregnant women are completely assured that the transducer pregnancy ultrasound will not cause any harm to the uterus and cervix, from which the fetus is also protected safely.
There are a few notes for pregnant women when having a transvaginal ultrasound, which is that it is necessary to urinate first to empty the bladder so that it does not interfere with the ultrasound device, so wear loose, comfortable clothes for the ultrasound process to take place. out more favorable.

3. Note when ultrasound transducer

Transducer ultrasound usually does not cause any damage to the uterus as well as the fetus of the pregnant woman, so pregnant women can rest assured with this effective method. Similar to other types of ultrasound, transducer ultrasound does not require much preparation, some notes when using transvaginal ultrasound include:
When performing transducer ultrasound, pregnant women should limit Drink water and need to urinate completely to empty the bladder, helping to get more accurate results. Keeping yourself mentally and psychologically comfortable before having an ultrasound is a very important thing for pregnant women. Do not give yourself stress and pressure as that will make the ultrasound process difficult. Choose comfortable clothes when going for transducer ultrasound. Although transducer ultrasound results are accurate, it is not necessary to perform this technique at every prenatal visit. When the fetus is more developed, only the abdominal wall ultrasound technique should be performed. Attention should be paid to choosing a reputable antenatal clinic with a doctor who performs transducer ultrasound as well as a safe, experienced and highly specialized antenatal check-up to ensure the most accurate diagnosis. At Vinmec International General Hospital, there is a package maternity service as a solution to help pregnant women feel secure because of the companionship of the medical team throughout the pregnancy. When choosing Maternity Package, pregnant women can:
The pregnancy process is monitored by a team of qualified doctors Regular check-ups, early detection of abnormal problems Maternity package helps to facilitate the process of pregnancy. birthing process Newborns get comprehensive care

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