Fetal morphology ultrasound, also known as the 19-20 week scan or the second-trimester ultrasound, is one of the important scans of the pregnancy, during which a rigorous and generalized assessment of the fetus is performed.
Fetal morphology assessment is considered as part of routine obstetric care for all pregnant women. Normally, at this stage of pregnancy, the baby should be “completely developed”, and henceforth, all of the major organs (brain, heart, stomach, bladder, kidneys) and structures (head, face, chest, abdomen, limbs, genitalia) can be carefully examined.
During this scan, the obstetrician-gynecologist will take several measurements, and thoroughly assess every part of the fetus’s body (organs, limbs, spine, etc.). The point from the assessment is to ensure that the child’s development is normal and in case an anomaly is detected, the doctor will let the parents know and will, consequently, suggest a solution if possible.
During morphology assessment, the Ob/Gyn will mainly examine the following points:
- The size of the fetus
- The position of the placenta
- Potential multiple pregnancies
- Anomalies in the fetus’s body
- Heart beat assessment
- The appearance of the cervix
For this procedure, Vendra Medical team recommends the use of the Color Doppler Transvaginal Ultrasound Scanner: Vsono-TVU1. This double head ultrasound scanner has a transvaginal head and a convex head. Each head has a different frequency range: 6.5 MHz and 3.5 MHz – 5 MHz, respectively. This variance of frequencies allows for a flexible scanning depending on the need of the doctor and of the general situation.
References:
Morphology scan
The 19-20 week scan
