Every pregnant woman needs to undergo various examinations during pregnancy, in addition to the basic prenatal check-ups, and also needs to schedule the fetal anomaly scan on time. However, modern medical equipment is very advanced, and there are more and more equipment for fetal anomaly scanning. Many pregnant women choose to have a four-dimensional ultrasound for fetal anomaly scanning. So is four-dimensional ultrasound the same as fetal anomaly scan?

Four-dimensional ultrasound is a type of fetal anomaly scan, usually conducted between 24-28 weeks of pregnancy at the hospital. Through the four-dimensional ultrasound, it is possible to see if the fetus has any abnormalities. At this stage, the fetus is of an appropriate size, and the amniotic fluid is adequate. The four-dimensional ultrasound can show whether the fetus has any internal organs and potential surface anomalies. Through stereoscopic imaging, it is possible to see the development of the fetus’s face and limbs, and whether there are congenital heart diseases, anencephaly, spina bifida, abdominal wall defects, cleft lip and palate, and limb malformations, which can all be clearly shown by B-ultrasound. Therefore, the four-dimensional ultrasound examination is very important in prenatal care. Four-dimensional ultrasound examination is also called fetal anomaly scan, and through the examination, it can be detected whether the fetus has any abnormalities or malformations.

Although four-dimensional ultrasound can assist doctors in diagnosing fetal anomalies, it is not the same as fetal anomaly scan. Since four-dimensional ultrasound is dynamic and can record the baby’s movements inside the mother’s womb, it is very difficult to diagnose fetal anomalies through four-dimensional ultrasound, which requires very high technical standards of the doctor. Most hospitals choose three-dimensional or two-dimensional Doppler ultrasound for fetal anomaly scan, which results in more accurate results.

The examination time for fetal anomaly scan and four-dimensional ultrasound is also different. The fetal anomaly scan needs to be conducted between 20-24 weeks, while the four-dimensional ultrasound needs to be conducted between 22-26 weeks. If the pregnant woman has already undergone a fetal anomaly scan, she can choose not to have a four-dimensional ultrasound. However, if the fetal anomaly scan has not been done yet, it is necessary to schedule the anomaly ultrasound first.

In fact, four-dimensional ultrasound is not a mandatory examination for pregnant women, while fetal anomaly scan is different, it is an essential examination that pregnant women must carry out immediately. The main purpose of the four-dimensional ultrasound is to leave a memory, as it is dynamic and can be recorded onto a disc. When the baby grows up, it can be shown to the baby, which is a very good memory.