A growth scan, also known as a fetal growth scan, is an ultrasound exam conducted during the third trimester of pregnancy to check for the baby’s size, position, and complications, if any. Your physician will recommend this scan based on your status during the third trimester.
During a growth scan ultrasound, various measurements of your baby will be taken by your physician to assess your baby’s growth and size. These measurements are plotted across a growth chart based on the number of weeks of your pregnancy.
The type of measurements taken include:
With the help of the above measurements, the estimated weight of the baby can be calculated. This weight can be plotted on a graph to assess whether the baby is small, large or normal for its gestational age.
It should be kept in mind that the estimated fetal weight can show an error of up to 20% even with repeated measurements. In such cases, further tests may be done.
Growth scan during pregnancy also records the position of the baby and placenta, the amount of amniotic fluid, and the baby’s activities.
Also read: What Is Intrauterine Growth Restriction? (IUGR)
#pregnancymustknow