LAURIUM, Michigan (January 22, 2014) – Aspirus Keweenaw’s birthing team is supported by some of the most advanced prenatal ultrasound technology, including state-of-the-art 3D/4D imaging.
Registered sonographer Ann Torola said 3D ultrasound offers moms- and dads-to-be incredibly detailed, three-dimensional color images where specific features like the nose, fingers and feet are easily identified. 4D ultrasound captures 3D images moving in real time.
“You can actually see what your baby looks like and see him or her moving,” Torola said. “Depending on how far along you are and the position of the baby, you might catch your baby’s first yawn or stretch.”
3D/4D scans are optional and offered alongside routine 2D ultrasound, a standard part of prenatal care.
2D ultrasounds require a physician’s referral and are used to assess the baby’s heartbeat, identify gender and determine how far along the pregnancy is. The scan is performed around 20 weeks of pregnancy and produces two-dimensional black and white images.
3D/4D ultrasounds are most effective between 24 and 32 weeks of pregnancy. Clarity of the images is dependent on the amount of fluid surrounding the baby.
Registered sonographer Melissa Boyer said the procedure for 3D/4D ultrasound is similar to 2D in that sound waves are used to create images. Sound waves are captured with a hand-held device, or transducer, that moves along the mother’s abdomen.
Computer software translates the sound waves into images displayed on the ultrasound machine monitor. Moms and Dads receive a keepsake photo afterward.
“With 2D you can only see the outline or profile of the baby. Oftentimes parents have a hard time deciphering what they’re looking at,” Boyer said. “With 3D there’s no question.”
Moms and Dads have a lot of fun with 3D ultrasound because it’s their first real look at their baby.
“A lot of times I’ll hear them say, ‘He’s got Mom’s nose or Dad’s chin.’ That’s how detailed the images are,” Torola said.