Fetal Ultrasound

• Normal fetal ultrasound results do not guarantee a normal, healthy baby.
• Your doctor may recommend more tests or procedures if the results of your fetal ultrasound are not normal.
• A photograph or videotape of the ultrasound image of the fetus is sometimes available to you.
• Your due date may be changed based on an ultrasound done in early pregnancy if the ultrasound predicts a different date, based on fetal size and development.
• Ultrasounds do not always show birth defects.
• In the third Reference trimester Opens New Window, fetal ultrasound does not accurately determine fetal age or weight.
• The effects of prolonged fetal ultrasound exposure have not been determined. So the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) does not recommend fetal ultrasound for nonmedical reasons, such as for identifying the sex of the fetus or as personal keepsakes.
• Three-dimensional (3-D) fetal ultrasound is being tested for use in evaluating fetal abnormalities. It is not yet widely available.
• Doppler ultrasound (or duplex scanning) uses reflected sound waves to estimate the speed and direction of blood as it flows to the placenta and within the fetus. For more information, see the topic Reference Doppler Ultrasound.

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