First Trimester
11 – 13 weeks 6 days week Scan

The First Trimester Scan is an ultrasound examination done between gestational age 11 to 13+6 weeks of the pregnant woman. It helps to observe the baby for certain birth defects.

First Trimester
FAQs
  • The first trimester Scan is helpful to determine the following:

    • If the pregnancy is a single baby or twin / triplet pregnancies
    • Presence of a few organs that have developed or developing, such as the face, heart, spine including nuchal translucency (skin thickness behind the neck of the foetus), as it has important implications for normal growth of the baby
    • To check the blood flow to the heart of the baby as this is vital for the baby

    Getting the first trimester Scan is helpful to reassure the pregnant woman of the normalcy of the pregnancy or to alert her to potential complications that may arise so that she can be counselled properly. It is of value for the obstetrician as the pregnancy can be managed appropriately on the basis of the first trimester Scan results.

  • The Scan is performed using ultrasound. A gel is applied over the abdomen of the pregnant woman. The fetal medicine specialist then places a hand-held device named transducer/ probe on the abdomen and moves it around to detect the images of the developing fetus. The images of the developing or developed organs are captured and stored in the patient’s report register. It takes 30-40 minutes to complete a first trimester ultrasound Scan.

  • Our experts’ recommend you to empty your bladder 90 minutes before your examination time. Then consume significant amount of water or milk or coffee about an hour before your examination time. Full bladder is very essential for a pregnancy ultrasound Scan.

  • MediScan is a centre of excellence in Fetal Medicine and has a team of experts with over four decades of experience. MediScan’s well trained and caring fetal medicine experts will perform the Scan, ensuring high quality and comfort. They not only perform the Scan but also explain the findings of the Scan very clearly to the patient. They also counsel the patients and guide them in case any abnormal finding is picked up during the Scan.

  • It is a common practise to perform prenatal screening tests from a blood sample of the pregnant woman in the first trimester. This is to assess the risk of Down’s syndrome, a chromosomal abnormality as also Preeclampsia. Preeclampsia (pregnancy induced hypertension), is another complication in pregnancy.

  • This Scan is absolutely safe for both the pregnant woman and for the baby.

  • This Ultrasound imaging method also has certain limitations. Ultrasound cannot accurately diagnose the intestines and parts because the sound waves are obstructed by air and vapours. With ultrasound, the doctor can only see the outer surface of the bone, not the inside of the bone. In addition, ultrasound also limits the survey in overweight and obese people.

  • MediScan is an acknowledged centre of excellence in Asia for fetal medicine. They have helped improve standard of care for pregnancies and have pioneered new assessment metrics and tools to determine the normalcy, safety and viability of the pregnancy. This therefore results in accuracy and reliability of its screening and diagnostic services.