Healthy Tips For Better Life

Pregnancy Tests

Some lab tests are done routinely on all pregnant women. These are important for mother and baby and are usually required by state law. They include blood tests for anemia and the mother's blood type, urine checks for infection and diabetes, and tests to check whether the mother has had certain infections, that include rubella, syphilis and hepatitis B.

Ultrasound, or sonogram, is used in many fields of medicine. High- frequency, pulsating sound waves are bounced off an object and form an image on a screen. This makes it possible to determine the size, shape and other important features of many parts of the body. For pregnant women, there are number of important reasons to have sonogram:

Usually recommended after an abnormal screening test. For example an ultrasound may determine whether a women with an abnormal AFP test is carrying an infant with spina bifida or twins.

Whenever there is the possibility of a pregnancy complication, for example, too much or too little amniotic fluid, slow or fast uterine growth

It helps confirm the expected date of birth if the mother is unsure of her last menstrual period. Sometimes there is an important medical reason to be precise about the due date.

They are also appropriate alongside amniocentesis, showing the doctor the location of the baby and placenta before and during procedure.

In some obstetrical, ultrasounds are routinely used to confirm or to date pregnancies. Some parents request sonograms because they want to have a "snapshot" of their baby in uterus, to see the fetus move, or to know the sex of the baby.

The cost of the procedure is considerable: $100 to $200 per sonogram. If ultrasound is recommended because you are at an increased risk of having a child with particular abnormalities, it is important that the test be performed by a radiologic group with expertise in pinpointing these abnormalities

The risks of ultrasound appear to be exceedingly low. No documented complications have been reported for abdominal ultrasound.

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