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Definition

By Mayo Clinic staff

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Image of a fetal ultrasound slide showing baby's profile 2-D fetal ultrasound
Image of a 3-D fetal ultrasound slide showing baby's face 3-D fetal ultrasound

A fetal ultrasound, or sonogram, is an imaging technique that uses high-frequency sound waves to produce images of a baby in the uterus.

Fetal ultrasound images can help your health care provider evaluate your baby's growth and development and determine how your pregnancy is progressing. A fetal ultrasound might also give you the chance to study your baby's profile months before delivery. In some cases, fetal ultrasound is used to evaluate possible problems or confirm a diagnosis.

Fetal ultrasound is often done during the first trimester to confirm and date the pregnancy and again during the second trimester — between 18 and 20 weeks — when anatomic details are visible. If your baby's health needs to be monitored more closely, ultrasounds might be repeated throughout the pregnancy.

Why it's done
References
  1. Frequently asked questions. Special procedures FAQ025. Ultrasound. American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. http://www.acog.org/~/media/For%20Patients/faq025.pdf?dmc=1&ts=20120731T1633444415. Accessed July 31, 2012.
  2. Shipp TD. Ultrasound examination in obstetrics and gynecology. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
  3. Shipp TD. Basic principles and safety of diagnostic ultrasound in obstetrics and gynecology. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
  4. Sfakianaki AK, et al. Routine prenatal ultrasonography as a screening tool. http://www.uptodate.com/home/index.html. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
  5. American College of Obstetricians and Gynecologists (ACOG) Committee on Practice Bulletins — Obstetrics. ACOG Practice Bulletin No. 101: Ultrasonography in pregnancy. Obstetrics & Gynecology. 2009;113:451.
  6. AIUM practice guideline for ultrasonography in reproductive medicine. American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. http://www.aium.org/resources/guidelines/reproductiveMed.pdf. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
  7. Avoid fetal "keepsake" images, heartbeat monitors. U.S. Food and Drug Administration. http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/ConsumerUpdates/ucm095508.htm. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
  8. Frequently asked questions. Pregnancy FAQ155. Ectopic pregnancy. American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. http://www.acog.org/~/media/For%20Patients/faq155.pdf?dmc=1&ts=20120801T1519144261. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
  9. Frequently asked questions. Pregnancy FAQ098. Special tests for monitoring fetal health. American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology. http://www.acog.org/~/media/For%20Patients/faq098.pdf?dmc=1&ts=20120801T1521295745. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
  10. Cope J. Prenatal sonographic diagnosis of fetal cardiac anomalies. http://www.uptodate/index. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
  11. Ghidini A. Chorionic villus sampling: Risks, complications, and techniques. www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Aug. 1, 2012.
  12. Ghidini A. Diagnostic amniocentesis. http://www.uptodate.com/index. Accessed Aug. 3, 2012.
  13. Gibbs RS, et al. Danforth's Obstetrics and Gynecology. 10th ed. Philadelphia, Pa.: Wolters Kluwer Health Lippincott Williams & Wilkins; 2008. http://www.danforthsobgyn.com. Accessed Aug. 8, 2012.
  14. Harms RW (expert opinion). Mayo Clinic, Rochester, Minn. Aug. 14, 2012.
MY00777 Oct. 6, 2012

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