A 4D Sonogram And Why They Are Done

By Katrina Wheeler


Traditional ultrasound images are sometimes hard for an average person to look at. Since they are essentially slices of an image, unless you are a professional it can be very difficult to tell what the image is. Newer technology such as the 4d sonogram and 3d imaging is changing the way doctors care for mothers during pregnancy as well as the baby.

With the newer technology the machine sends sound waves into the mothers stomach and as they bounce around and create various echoes the machines reads these and develops a picture from the data. This is what a 3d sonogram would be considered. When they add the element of movement to the picture it becomes a 4d sonogram image.

Once they have the 3d image they can take frames of images and then put them all together and they will become a moving image, just like a flip-book or cartoon would operate. Once this is done it is now a 4d image. The 4d signifies a moving 3d image. These sonograms are very important to the doctor while caring for a pregnant woman.

The doctors rely on these imaging techniques to get vital information about the mothers health as well as that of the baby. They can see the baby itself and tell if it is healthy and if it has all of its fingers and toes. They also look for the movement to verify that it is moving healthy and they look for signs of danger as well. Things such as the umbilical cord being tied around baby's neck.

There are instances when the heart rate is elevated or the umbilical cord might be wrapped around the baby and something needs to be done. Without having the ability to look at pictures and images like this there would be no way to tell just how much trouble the baby is in. It has saved many lives since it has been invented and brought into the medical industry.

Being able to produce an image of the mother's womb that basically looks as if you had a camera inside the stomach gives doctors a way to take accurate measurements of the amniotic sac, as well as various other portions of the womb. The baby's health can be checked more thoroughly than ever before.

These machines are very useful and very important. For the private offices that have them they are very lucky. Chances are that the hospitals will all have them but not so for every single clinic or private office. The machines are very expensive and sometimes private doctors will need to loan these out from the manufacturers.

The 4d sonogram machines have given many parents a great view of their upcoming baby. For some it may have saved their baby's life. When the doctors take their measurements and look for signs of danger during these appointments there are times where they call for an immediate c-section because something might be wrong. Without the machine this would not be possible. This is one reason more clinics are pushing for such devices.




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