If you are expecting a child, your doctor may recommend a ultrasound to produced a sonogram, which is the image created by the sound waves. A sonogram can tell you multiple things about your unborn baby. Here are a few of them:

The Age of the Fetus

The growth rate of an unborn child usually follows a certain pattern. Specific crown-to-rump measurements are expected at different gestational ages. For instance, at eight weeks, the length of a fetus should be about .63 inches or 1.6 centimeters. The same fetus, at 12 weeks, should measure 2.13 inches or 5.4 centimeters.

For people who are unsure of their date of conception, an early ultrasound can help determine their due date. An ultrasound performed early in a pregnancy is usually conducted transvaginally. This means that instead of a probe being placed on top of the belly of the pregnant woman, a probe is inserted vaginally to provide the ultrasound Images.

The Sex of a Baby

Your doctor may prescribe an ultrasound when you reach 18 - 20 weeks of pregnancy. At this time, the baby's sex organs should be well developed enough for the gender of the child to be identifiable on the sonogram. However, babies do not always fully participate by moving into a proper position during the test.

Development of Your Baby's Heart

As your baby's heart develops, the flow of the blood through the chambers of the heart can be visible through an ultrasound. Thus, your doctor will be able to verify that your baby's heart has the proper number of chambers and that it is functioning as it should.

The Movement of Your Baby's Intestines into the Gut

As your baby grows, during the 6th through the 10th week of gestation, his or her intestines continue to elongate and are pushed from the baby's abdominal cavity into the umbilical cord. However, the intestines reenter the belly by the 11th week. If this does not occur, an omphalocele develops. A sonogram can indicate that the baby's intestines are inside the abdominal cavity as they should be.

The Presence of More Than One Baby

Although a pregnancy may be moving forward without incident, the expectant mother may not know how many babies she is carrying. An sonogram can show the presence of more than one fetus in the womb.

If you would like to learn more about sonograms and what they can show concerning your unborn baby, contact All Women's Clinic or a similar organization.