Ultrasound detected fetal abnormalities since when? this is the explanation

Every prospective parent would want to have healthy and perfect children. That is why pregnant women should routinely have their pregnancy checked. That way, when there is something undesirable in the womb, whether it is a fetal defect or abnormality, it can be immediately detected and certain actions are taken.

Types of fetal abnormalities that can be detected via ultrasound

Fetal abnormalities can be detected through ultrasound examination. Ideally, ultrasound examinations are performed three times during pregnancy.

Unfortunately, not all types of problems in babies can be detected by ultrasound examination. The reason is, the ultrasound results are not 100 percent accurate.

This makes a normal result on an ultrasound does not necessarily guarantee that your baby will not have birth defects or chromosomal abnormalities. The reason is, there are also defects that are only visible when the baby is born.

However, that doesn't mean you don't feel the need to do an ultrasound. Ultrasound examination is still important to do in anticipation of any abnormalities in your fetus.

Here are some birth defects that can be detected by ultrasound:

Spina bifida

What is spina bifida? This is a condition in the fetus that occurs when the spine and spinal cord are not fully formed.

This disorder is one type of neural tube defect and usually occurs when the fetus is young, which is 3-4 weeks.

Anenchephaly

Anencephaly is a serious birth defect or fetal defect. This condition is a type of neural tube defect that causes babies to be born without part of the brain and skull.

Anencephaly occurs when the top of the neural tube fails to close completely. Then the brain and spinal cord of the developing baby are exposed to the amniotic fluid and destroy the nervous system tissue.

Hydrocephalus

This condition is characterized by the size of a baby's head that is abnormally enlarged due to a buildup of fluid in the ventricular cavity of the brain. Hydrocephalus cases in Indonesia are quite a lot, around four in 1000 births.

Meanwhile, according to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, about two in 1000 babies have this type of fetal abnormality.

Crooked legs (club foot)

Club foot or bent leg is a condition where the foot rotates at the ankle inward and makes the feet face each other.

Quoting from the Mayo Clinic, crooked legs or club foot This does not cause serious problems until the baby learns to stand and walk.

However, there are some difficulties that may be faced, such as the movement of the baby, shoe size, and leg muscles that are different from other parts.

Harelip

Cleft lip or a cleft lip is one of the fetal disorders in which the upper lip does not fuse. A similar cleft can also occur in the roof of the mouth and may coincide with a cleft lip.

Cleft lip occurs at the beginning of the formation of the fetus due to genetics or due to the environment during pregnancy.

Down syndrome

Fetal abnormalities that need to be watched out for next are down syndrome . This condition occurs when the fetus has excess chromosomes.

Normally, humans have 46 chromosomes in each cell, 23 from the mother and 23 from the father. Meanwhile the conditions down syndrome has 47 chromosomes in each cell.

When can fetal abnormalities begin to appear on ultrasound examination?

During an ultrasound examination, the doctor will take measurements to make sure the baby is growing normally. If one of the measurements is abnormal, it could indicate a birth defect.

Ultrasound is usually done three times during pregnancy, especially at 18 to 20 weeks of gestation. Because at this age is the best time to check the physical development of the baby.

However, this ultrasound can also be done earlier from the age of the fetus six weeks to eight weeks. Here are the benefits of ultrasound done three times during pregnancy:

Screening for fetal abnormalities in the first trimester (11-13 weeks)

Screening performed in the first trimester is performed between 11 and 13 weeks of gestation. This test is done to look for certain fetal abnormalities related to the baby's heart or chromosomal disorders, such as down syndrome .

Some of the tests carried out are:

Blood check

This examination is one of the simpler tests to measure the level of two proteins, human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) and plasma protein (PAPP-A).

If the protein levels are too high or abnormally low, there is a possibility of chromosomal abnormalities in the fetus.

Ultrasound examination

Examination using ultrasound or ultrasound aims to see if there is excess fluid behind the baby's neck.

If the ultrasound examination shows an increase in fluid in the neck, it may be chromosomal or heart abnormalities in the fetus.

Apart from those mentioned above, several things were seen in the test, namely:

• See the progress of pregnancy
• Detect whether you are pregnant with more than one fetus
• Estimating gestational age
• Check for birth defects affecting the brain and spinal cord

So, fetal abnormalities or birth defects can be detected from the start of an ultrasound examination in the first trimester.

Examination of fetal abnormalities in the second trimester (15-20 weeks)

Screening in the second trimester is usually performed at 15 to 20 weeks of gestation. In this test, the doctor will look for certain birth defects or abnormalities in the fetus. Some of the tests carried out are:

Echocardiogram

This test uses sound waves to evaluate the fetal heart for heart abnormalities before birth.

An echocardiogram can provide a more detailed picture of the fetal heart than usual pregnancy so that it can be seen whether there is an abnormality or not.

Ultrasound anomaly

This test is usually done at 18 to 20 weeks of gestation. This ultrasound is used to check the size of the baby, look for birth defects and other problems with the fetus.

The above tests will also check for:

• Estimating gestational age
• See the size and position of the fetus, placenta, and amniotic fluid
• Check the position of the fetus, umbilical cord, and placenta before performing amniocentesis or umbilical cord blood sampling

The various tests above to see if the fetus is healthy or has abnormalities.

Screening for fetal abnormalities in the third trimester (> 21 weeks)

This examination is carried out to:

• Ensuring that the fetus is alive and moving normally.
• See the size and position of the fetus, placenta, and amniotic fluid.

So, what should be done if an abnormality is found in the baby?

If you find any abnormalities detected by ultrasound, you should immediately discuss it with your doctor about the best options that should be made. This choice of course depends on the type of abnormality detected.

Doctors can treat several types of disorders, one of which is the condition of spina bifida when the baby is still in the womb.

UT Southwestern Medical Center says, improving the condition of spina bifida before the baby is born can provide better results than doing surgery after the baby is born.

Some bladder obstruction can also be treated while the baby is still in the womb.

Unfortunately, not all birth defects can be treated before the baby is born. Therefore, you need to discuss it with your doctor to get the best option for the problem found.

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