Prenatal ultrasonography

Prenatal ultrasonography uses high-frequency sound waves to create images of a fetus and the pregnancy. It helps assess fetal development, pregnancy dating, and the position of the placenta.

Ultrasound imaging: A medical imaging technique that forms images from echoes of high-frequency sound waves. The underlying imaging method sends sound into the body and records returning echoes.
Pregnancy dating: Estimating gestational age and an expected due date from clinical information and imaging. Early measurements can establish gestational age more accurately than later fetal size.
Gestational age: The time elapsed since the beginning of a pregnancy, conventionally counted from the last menstrual period. It determines which structures and developmental measurements are expected at a scan.
Prenatal screening: Testing during pregnancy that estimates the chance of specified fetal conditions without establishing a diagnosis. Ultrasound findings may contribute to screening but do not by themselves diagnose many genetic conditions.
Obstetric care: Healthcare for pregnancy, childbirth, and the period after birth. Ultrasound findings shape monitoring, referrals, and decisions about timing or place of birth.
Sonography: The use of ultrasound equipment to produce diagnostic images of internal body structures. This is the imaging practice used to scan the pregnant abdomen or, when needed, internally.
Nuchal translucency scan: A first-trimester ultrasound measurement of fluid beneath the skin at the back of the fetal neck. This measurement contributes to screening for certain chromosomal conditions.
Crown-rump length: The length from the top of an embryo or fetus's head to its buttocks. It is a key early-pregnancy measurement for estimating gestational age.
Cell-free fetal DNA testing: A blood test in pregnancy that analyzes placental DNA fragments circulating in maternal blood. It screens for selected chromosomal conditions through DNA rather than fetal images.
Prenatal diagnosis: The identification of fetal conditions before birth using screening and diagnostic methods. Imaging can reveal structural differences and direct further diagnostic evaluation.

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