In line with its mission, the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony makes every effort to provide reliable medical content supported by the latest scientific knowledge. The additional flag “Checked Content” indicates that the article has been reviewed by or written directly by a physician. This two-step verification: a medical journalist and a doctor allows us to provide the highest quality content in line with current medical knowledge.
Our commitment in this area has been appreciated, among others, by by the Association of Journalists for Health, which awarded the Editorial Board of MedTvoiLokony with the honorary title of the Great Educator.
Usually, in early pregnancy, the patient goes to the gynecologist because she did not have a period at the scheduled date.
Unfortunately, it is still rare that a woman plans a pregnancy and comes to the doctor’s office after the pregnancy test has been performed in order to confirm the pregnancy, establish appropriate documentation and perform the first tests.
If a woman comes to the doctor on the 3rd or 4th day after the expected period and has not yet performed a pregnancy test, the doctor may only find a slightly enlarged fluffy uterus during the examination, which, however, does not always indicate pregnancy. There is no point in having an ultrasound examination during this time, which the patients insist on very much, because a pregnancy around the age of 18 days is invisible in the ultrasound image. Therefore, performing such an examination may then only be a cause of frustration for the expectant mother. A woman changes her doctor – but before she makes another appointment and waits for it, several or several days pass. Going to the next doctor – already in a more advanced pregnancy – learns about its location (usually correct); sometimes it is also possible to confirm the presence of a fetal heartbeat. Then, of course, the woman may have a grudge against the first doctor who did not recognize her pregnancy, did not see the pulse. However, it does not take into account the time elapsed between the two visits. Therefore, doing an ultrasound scan right after you have stopped your period does not make much sense. If a woman wants to be sure that she is pregnant, it is better to test the level of beta HCG in the blood serum. Its result will be unambiguous.
The ultrasound examination performed between the 5th and 10th week of pregnancy is aimed at visualizing the pregnancy, confirming its correct (i.e. intrauterine) location, determining the gestational age and visualizing the fetal heartbeat (checking if the pregnancy is alive). Ultrasound examination is also performed to assess the correctness of pregnancy development, the number of embryos, the condition of the chorion and amnion.
In the first period, after about 4 weeks of normal pregnancy, a gestational sac with a diameter of 3-4 mm appears in the uterine cavity. On average, it increases by 1,1 mm per day. When the gestational sac reaches 6 mm or more (usually between 5 and 6 weeks of pregnancy), a yolk sac appears. At 11 weeks of pregnancy, it is 6-7 mm in diameter. The embryonic field appears around the 5th week of pregnancy and is about 5 mm in size. The fetal heart rate becomes apparent in the 6th week of pregnancy. When the embryo is more than 12 mm, it can be distinguished between the head and the trunk. The CRL parameter (parietal-seat dimension) is used to measure the length of the embryo. After the 11th week of pregnancy, we are already talking about the fetus. During this time, limb buds, the umbilical cord and the first points of bone ossification become clearly visible. Examination for congenital abnormalities then only consists in finding large abnormalities, e.g. skullcap. The remaining defects cannot be assessed yet – mainly due to the too small dimensions of the fetus.
Any abnormalities in the structure of the gestational bubble, its irregular shape, too slow growth rate, bradycardia, the presence of an extracavicular hematoma or the lack of certain embryonic structures indicate abnormal pregnancy development and a threatening miscarriage.
During such an early ultrasound examination, it is also possible to show an incorrect location of the pregnancy, e.g. its location in the fallopian tube. Then we recognize an ectopic pregnancy, which is an absolute indication for the patient’s hospitalization. Cracked, it poses a direct threat to a woman’s life.
The content of the medTvoiLokony website is intended to improve, not replace, the contact between the Website User and their doctor. The website is intended for informational and educational purposes only. Before following the specialist knowledge, in particular medical advice, contained on our Website, you must consult a doctor. The Administrator does not bear any consequences resulting from the use of information contained on the Website. Do you need a medical consultation or an e-prescription? Go to halodoctor.pl, where you will get online help – quickly, safely and without leaving your home.