Health Tip: Getting a Fetal Ultrasound

What the diagnostic may reveal

(HealthDay News) -- Ultrasound uses sound waves to create images of the body's internal tissues and organs. The diagnostic may be prescribed for a pregnant woman to examine the growing fetus inside her womb.

The American Congress of Obstetricians and Gynecologists says the procedure can help gauge:

  • How old the fetus is.
  • How quickly the fetus is growing.
  • Where the fetus is located, how it moves and breathes, and its heart rate.
  • Placement of the woman's placenta.
  • The amount of amniotic fluid inside the uterus.
  • The number of fetuses.
  • The presence of some birth defects.

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