An ultrasound is an image-based study, which, by means of sound waves that create images, shows how the baby is developing in the womb. For the mother-to-be being able to see how her baby is growing healthily, gives her confidence and peace of mind, which helps keeps the pregnancy anxiety-free. According to Dr. Ulises Velazquez Puente, obstetrician-gynecologist at Hospiten Los Cabos, “apart from seeing the sex of the baby, the function of the ultrasound lies in the information it can provide on the fetus and allowing complications or malformations to be ruled out”.
Whilst a 3D ultrasound shows a still picture with volume (three dimensions), a 4D ultrasound adds movement (it is a real-time video). The big difference between 3D and 4D ultrasounds in comparison with conventional, 2D ultrasound is they improve diagnosis by 70% thanks to the quality of the image.
According to Dr. Velazquez, “it is recommended to have a 3D / 4D ultrasound after week 20 of the pregnancy”. With reference to the debate about the number of ultrasounds and their effect on the health of the mother and her baby, the specialist stressed that “ultrasound does not emit radiation and so has no side effects on the fetus; therefore, you can have as many ultrasounds as you wish”.