When is a color pregnancy ultrasound needed?

Doppler ultrasound (color ultrasound) uses the Doppler effect to measure velocity, determining the direction of flow in the body, including the heart and blood vessels. This is an important technique to examine the structure of the heart, screen for congenital heart defects, and manage high-risk pregnancies such as pre-eclampsia, small fetuses, intrauterine growth restriction, and monochorionic twins. complications, placenta accreta, placental abruption…

Heart defects are a group of congenital abnormalities commonly found in fetuses. Prenatal diagnosis of heart defects helps doctors prepare a plan for when the child is born, improving the likelihood of survival. However, this is one of the groups of diseases that are easily missed during prenatal ultrasound. Modern color Doppler technique helps doctors early detect some fetal heart abnormalities right from the end of the first and early second trimesters of pregnancy.

Doppler ultrasound of the uterine arteries in pregnant women is an important indicator to predict preeclampsia. Pregnant women are recommended to be screened for preeclampsia at 11-13 weeks and 6 days. Pregnant women at high risk are advised on preventive methods to prevent this complication. Doppler ultrasound also measures Doppler indices of the uterine artery, umbilical artery, and middle cerebral artery in the second and third trimesters to help evaluate placental function and fetal health status. This method monitors small fetuses and slow fetal growth in the uterus.

A common problem in monochorionic twins is the connection between the blood vessels of the two fetuses in the placenta, increasing the risk of complications. Pregnant women with monochorionic twins need to be examined and doppler ultrasound every two weeks.

Color Doppler ultrasound is also a valuable tool in the diagnosis and management of cases of placenta accreta. This method also evaluates the degree of vascular proliferation in the old cesarean section scar area. Based on the severity of the placenta accreta and the health status of the fetus, the doctor will advise when and plan to proactively perform a cesarean section.

This method uses high frequencies that are safe for the fetus like other ultrasound techniques. However, because Doppler can cause thermal effects, the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG) recommends not using it in the early stages (7-8 weeks) when not necessary. If it must be prescribed in the early stages, pregnant women are given an ultrasound at the lowest energy level and shortest exposure time.

In case your fetus is malnourished, you should monitor it at a medical facility with modern equipment and highly skilled doctors. Through fetal biometric measurements, the doctor estimates weight, measures amniotic index, and Doppler ultrasound measures the impedance index of blood vessels… to get the best treatment.