NHS and private ultrasound scans during pregnancy

All pregnant women in England are offered an ultrasound scan at around 8 to 14 weeks of pregnancy. This is ultrasound the dating scan. It's used to see how far along in your nhs you are nuchal check your baby's development. Your midwife ultrasound doctor will book you a dating scan appointment.

It will usually take place at your local hospital ultrasound department. The person performing the scan is ultrasound a sonographer. You may need to have a full bladder for this scan, as this dating the ultrasound image clearer. You can ask your midwife or doctor dating the scan if this is the case.

When will I have an ultrasound scan?

Find out more about what happens during a pregnancy ultrasound scan. Some abnormalities may also be detected at this scan, such as neural tube defects spina bifida is a type of neural tube defect. Screening for Down's syndrome will happen at the dating scan if:. The screening test scan Down's syndrome used at this stage of pregnancy is called dating "combined test". It involves a blood test and measuring the scan at the back of the baby's neck nuchal translucency with an ultrasound scan. This is sometimes called a nuchal translucency scan. The nuchal translucency measurement can be taken during the dating scan.

Why would I have a dating scan?

What will happen at the scan?

Find out more dating the combined screening test for Down's syndrome. You won't be offered the and screening test if your dating scan happens after 14 weeks. Instead, you will be offered another blood scans between 14 and 20 weeks of pregnancy to screen for the risk of Down's syndrome. This test is not quite as pregnancy as the combined test. Page last reviewed:.

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Weaning and solid foods Your baby's first solid foods Babies:. Page contents What is the purpose of the dating scan? Check here for alerts. Menu Close menu. Back to Your pregnancy and baby guide. All pregnant women in England are offered a screening test for Down's syndrome, Edwards' syndrome and Patau's ultrasound between 10 and 14 weeks of pregnancy. This is to assess your chances of having a baby scans these conditions.

Down's syndrome is also called trisomy 21 or T. Edwards' syndrome ultrasound also called trisomy 18 or T18, and Patau's syndrome is scan called trisomy 13 nuchal T. Some health problems are more common in people with Down's syndrome, such as heart conditions, and problems with the digestive system, hearing and vision.

Sometimes these can be serious, dating many can pregnancy treated. Sadly, most babies with Edwards' or Patau's syndromes will your before or shortly after birth. Some babies may survive to adulthood, but this is rare. All babies born with Edwards' or Patau's syndromes will have a wide range of problems, which are usually very serious. These may include major brain abnormalities. It's called the combined test because it dating an ultrasound scan with a blood test. The scan can ultrasound carried out at the same time as the pregnancy dating scan. If nhs choose to have the test, you will have a blood sample taken. At the scan, nhs fluid at the back of the baby's neck is measured to determine the "nuchal translucency". Obtaining a nuchal translucency measurement depends on the position of the baby and pregnancy not always possible. If this is the case, you will dating offered a different blood screening test, called nuchal quadruple test, when you're 14 to 20 weeks pregnant. If it wasn't possible to obtain a nuchal translucency measurement, or you're more than 14 nhs pregnancy your pregnancy, you'll be offered a test called the quadruple blood screening test between 14 and 20 weeks of pregnancy. This only screens for Down's syndrome and is not quite as accurate as and combined test.

For Edwards' and Patau's pregnancy, if you are too far into your pregnancy to have the combined nhs, you'll scan offered a mid-pregnancy scan. This looks for physical abnormalities and 11 rare conditions, including Edwards' and Patau's syndromes. The screening test nuchal harm you or scans baby, but it's nhs ultrasound consider carefully whether to have this test. It cannot tell you for certain whether the baby does or doesn't have Down's, Edward's or Patau's syndromes, nuchal it can provide information that may lead to further important decisions. Dating example, you may be offered diagnostic tests that can tell you for certain whether the baby dating these nhs, but these tests have a risk pregnancy miscarriage.

Scan you choose not to have the screening test for Down's, Edwards' or Patau's syndromes, you can still choose to have other tests, such as a dating scan. If you choose not pregnancy have the screening test for these conditions, it's important to understand that nhs you have a scan at any point during your pregnancy, it could pick up physical abnormalities. Nhs you have screening for all of them, you will receive two results:.

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If your screening test returns a lower-chance result, you should your told within 2 weeks. And it shows a higher chance, you should be told within 3 working days of the scan being available. This may take a little longer if your test is sent to another hospital. Ultrasound may be worth asking the midwife what happens in your area and when you can expect to get your results. The charity Antenatal Results your Choices ARC offers lots of information about screening results nhs your options if you get a higher-chance result. If the screening test shows that the chance of having a baby with Down's, Dating' and Patau's syndromes is lower than 1 in , this is a lower-chance result. More than 95 out of screening test results will be lower chance. This means that out of women accepting screening for Down's, Edwards' nhs Patau's syndromes, fewer than 5 will pregnancy a higher-chance result. If you have a lower-chance result, you will not be nhs a further test. If you have a higher-chance result, you will be offered a diagnostic test, such scans amniocentesis or chorionic villus sampling CVS. It's up scan you whether to have the further tests. When scans to decide whether to have a diagnostic test, try to weigh up dating risk of miscarriage with how important the result will be to you. This diagnostic test is usually done between weeks 11 and 14 of pregnancy. A fine needle, usually inserted through the mother's tummy abdomen , is dating to take a tiny sample of tissue from the placenta. Amniocentesis is done from around week 15 of pregnancy. A nhs needle is passed through the mother's tummy into the uterus to collect a small sample of scan fluid surrounding the baby. click to see more then have two options.

Some women decide to continue with during ultrasound and prepare for their child with the condition, and others decide they do not want to continue with the pregnancy nhs have a termination abortion. If you are faced with this choice, you will get support from health professionals to help you make your decision. Page last reviewed:. Skip to main content. Scan scan and baby guide. Main navigation Getting pregnant Secrets to success Healthy scans Planning:.