Ultrasound examination (ultrasonography) is almost always done when pregnant women undergo a pregnancy examination to the doctor. Now there is a more sophisticated type of ultrasound, namely 3-dimensional ultrasound. This type of ultrasound is considered to have several advantages compared to normal ultrasound.
Basically, 3-dimensional (3D) ultrasound and ordinary or two-dimensional ultrasound both utilize sound waves to produce images. It's just that, 3-dimensional ultrasound uses more sophisticated machines and software, so the resulting images look more detailed and clearer.
With 3D ultrasound images, you can clearly see the shape of the face, body, organs, and feet of the fetus, including what he is doing. In a medical examination, 3D ultrasound makes it easy for doctors to detect fetal disorders that are difficult or not detected by 2D ultrasound, such as cleft lip or birth defects.
However, the purpose of USG 3 examination is not different from 2D USG, namely:
- Determine the age of pregnancy.
- Detect the number of fetuses in the womb or detect multiple pregnancies.
- Evaluate fetal growth during pregnancy by monitoring fetal movement and heart rate.
- Evaluate the condition of the placenta and amniotic fluid.
- Check the baby's position before delivery.
- Detect whether there are abnormalities in the placenta, such as placenta previa and calcification of the placenta.
- Detect any abnormal pregnancy, such as grape pregnancy or ectopic pregnancy (pregnancy outside the uterus).
- Look for causes of complaints during pregnancy, such as vaginal bleeding or abdominal pain.
When Can You Check Yourself with 3D Ultrasound?
The best time to do an ultrasound examination with three-dimensional ultrasound is when the gestational age has entered the 26th week to the 30th.
Performing a 3D ultrasound examination at less than 26 weeks' gestation may not help much to show the baby's body and face shape, because the baby has not grown large enough to be examined with 3-dimensional ultrasound.
Although it can provide better image quality, a pregnancy examination with 3D ultrasound so far is only an additional examination. That is, 3D ultrasound does not need to be used routinely at every content check.
If your health facility doesn't have 3D ultrasound at your health facility, your doctor can still do an ordinary ultrasound to evaluate the health condition of you and the fetus in the womb. But if you want to do 3D ultrasound, you can consult with your doctor to find out when the best time to do it.
How does the 3-D ultrasound examination procedure take place?
The process of 3D ultrasound examination is not so different from 2D ultrasound. Initially, the doctor will ask pregnant women to lie down first on the examination bed. After that, the doctor will apply a special gel on the belly of pregnant women.
When the gel has been applied, the doctor will then attach the ultrasound transducer to the stomach. Transducer is a device that works to send sound waves to the uterus and fetus so that the ultrasound machine can produce the desired image.
This procedure usually only lasts a few minutes and is painless. Just like in 2D ultrasound, patients can print and bring home 3D ultrasound images. The doctor will also notify the patient if a health problem is detected during the examination.
Is 3-D Ultrasound Safe?
Because 3D ultrasound does not use ionizing radiation or X-rays to produce images, this procedure is safe for pregnant women. So far, there are no studies that state that routine ultrasound examinations of pregnancy can increase the risk of health problems in pregnant women and fetuses.
However, considerations for conducting an ultrasound examination, both normal pregnancy ultrasound or other types of ultrasound, still need to be based on the recommendations of the doctor who conducted the examination. Without clear medical reasons and doctor's recommendations, 3-dimensional ultrasound should not be done.
An overview of 4D ultrasound
Besides 3D ultrasound, there is now also a 4D ultrasound machine. The fundamental difference from 3D ultrasound with 4D ultrasound is the resulting image. In 3D or 2D ultrasound, the resulting image is only in the form of photos (still images). Whereas on 4D ultrasound, you can see the fetus in video form.
Despite having different results, both 2D, 3D, and 4D ultrasound both utilize sound waves to produce images of organs or fetuses in the womb.
But the problem is, there are still not many health service facilities in Indonesia that provide the means to conduct 4D ultrasound examination, as well as 3D ultrasound.
Even though 3D and 4D ultrasound machines are available, it does not mean 2D ultrasound is no longer needed in the examination of the womb. 2D ultrasound remains a part of routine obstetric examination procedures, because the safety and accuracy of the results have been proven, as well as because they are more affordable.
If you want to do an ultrasound examination, be it 2D, 3D, or 4D, first consult with your obstetrician. The doctor will suggest the type of ultrasound examination that suits your needs and condition.
