What does an ultrasound at 6 weeks pregnant know about the fetus?

This is an automatically translated article.

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Ly Thi Thanh Nha - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec International General Hospital Da Nang. Doctor Nha has strengths and experience in fetal malformation ultrasound, 3D, 4D fetal ultrasound.
The fetal indicators through fetal ultrasound will accurately reflect the baby's development in the womb. At 6 weeks pregnant, at this time, the baby's size is quite small but can be observed through ultrasound. So from 6 weeks pregnant ultrasound results, what will parents know?

1. What are the characteristics of 6 weeks pregnant?

According to normal physiology, when the fetus has developed to the 6th week, the pregnant mother can basically detect that she is pregnant. The size of the fetus at this time is very small, only about 0.6 cm long, equivalent to a pea.
With the modern development of ultrasound equipment, through the effect of high frequency sound waves, it is possible to record the first images of the fetus when it is only 6 weeks old.
This is At the beginning of the recording of the baby's characteristics, the 6-week-old ultrasound is very important, through which it can detect whether the baby's development is normal or not, helping the treating doctor to make a decision. early and timely interventions for the health of both mother and fetus.

2. Ultrasound 6 weeks pregnant by any method?

Normally, the 6-week-old fetus is already in the uterus, so through the ultrasound image, the mother can see the first images of the embryo. Currently, 6 weeks pregnant ultrasound can be done by 2 different methods, giving quite accurate results:
2.1. Transabdominal 6-week-old fetal ultrasound Trans-abdominal ultrasound helps the mother see the early fetal image in the uterus. The disadvantage of this method is that sometimes the image of the fetus will not be clearly visible because the ultrasound must pass through many different tissue layers such as fat layer, abdominal muscle layer...
To overcome this disadvantage, Medical facilities need to be equipped with modern high-resolution ultrasound machines and prepare patients who need to hold their urine to keep their bladders open. Transabdominal 6 weeks pregnant ultrasound
2.2. 6 weeks pregnant ultrasound with vaginal transducer Compared with 6 weeks transabdominal ultrasound, transvaginal ultrasound has superior advantages in terms of high accuracy and clearer images.
A special transducer is inserted into the mother's vagina, the transducer transmits ultrasound waves into the mother's uterus to record characteristics such as the position, size, and development of the fetus. Then reproduce the image to display on the ultrasound screen, the doctor will note any abnormalities if any.

3. Read 6 weeks pregnant ultrasound results

6 weeks pregnant ultrasound has not recorded all necessary fetal indicators because the fetus is too small. However, some indicators of 6 weeks pregnancy recorded by ultrasound partly help assess the level of fetal development, these indicators include:
GSD (Gestational Sac Diameter): is the size of the amniotic sac. . GSD can measure the first weeks of pregnancy, when the organs in the body are not yet formed. At 6 weeks of gestation, the GSD index is about 14-25mm BPD (Biparietal diameter): This index is the largest diameter in the fetal head circumference, also known as the biparietal diameter. However, at 6 weeks pregnant, this index has not been measured. FL (Femur length): This is the length of the femur. At 6 weeks pregnant, fetal ultrasound has not yet measured this index. CRL (Crown rump length) is the butt head length. In 6 weeks pregnant ultrasound results, the normal CRL index is about 4-7mm. HC (Head circumference): Head circumference. This index is not measured at 6 weeks pregnant ultrasound. AC (Abdominal circumference): The circumference of the abdomen. Similar to head circumference, the AC index is still not measured at 6 weeks of pregnancy. EFW(Estimated fetal weight): is the estimated fetal weight. Because the fetus is still very small, this indicator has not been recorded yet. Fetal Heart: Usually, ultrasound detects fetal heart at 7 weeks and is most obvious from week 12 onwards. When the fetus is 6 weeks old, the fetal heart is about to form, so in the well-developed and healthy fetus, sometimes the 6-week-old ultrasound can record the baby's heartbeat.

4. What does a 6 week old pregnancy ultrasound know?

6 weeks pregnant, although the shape has not yet formed, this is still a period of remarkable development. The results of a 6-week-old fetal ultrasound show that the fetus resembles a tadpole rather than a human.
Fetal size is as small as a pea from head to rump. Besides, some tissues have formed on the baby's head area, small protrusions appear and parts such as cheeks, jaw, chin... are about to form.
In the fetal head area, the mother will see 2 small dimples, this position is where the baby's 2 ears are formed. Some other hollows in the head area also begin to form eyes, nose... During the 6 week gestation period, organs such as liver, kidneys, lungs have taken the first steps to form.
When the fetus is 6 weeks old, the mother can go for an ultrasound to record the first images of the baby. Although only the size of a small pea, the ultrasound indicators at this week of pregnancy also assess the development of the fetus. Accordingly, the first 3 months is also a very sensitive time of pregnancy. In order for mother and baby to be healthy, parents need to pay attention to:
Understand early signs of pregnancy, pregnancy poisoning, bleeding during pregnancy. Timely, correct and sufficient first prenatal check-up, avoiding too early/too late. Fetal malformation screening at 12 weeks detects dangerous fetal malformations that can be intervened early. Distinguish between normal vaginal bleeding and pathological vaginal bleeding for timely intervention to maintain pregnancy. Screening for thyroid disease in the first 3 months of pregnancy avoids dangerous risks before and during delivery. Vinmec currently has many maternity packages (12-27-36 weeks), in which the 12-week maternity package helps monitor the health of mother and baby right from the beginning of pregnancy, early detection and timely intervention of health issues. In addition to the usual services, the maternity monitoring program from 12 weeks has special services that other maternity packages do not have such as: Double Test or Triple Test to screen for fetal malformations; Quantitative angiogenesis factor test for preeclampsia; thyroid screening test; Rubella test; Testing for parasites transmitted from mother to child seriously affects the baby's brain and physical development after birth.
For more information about the 12-week maternity package and registration, you can contact the clinics and hospitals of Vinmec health system nationwide.

Please dial HOTLINE for more information or register for an appointment HERE. Download MyVinmec app to make appointments faster and to manage your bookings easily.