Nobody has said that pregnancy is easy. However, despite this rather grim assessment of this episode in a woman’s life, being pregnant is filled with joyous expectations of the coming of the family’s new member. This joyful expectation is manifested in the choosing of the name of the newcomer, in the preparation for the baby’s things.

However, technology also lent a hand in making every pregnancy a joyful waiting. Through ultrasound imaging during pregnancy, a couple is allowed a glimpse at what their baby will look like, thus ushering in joyful glees from a woman who knows the joy of being pregnant; from a father proud to have a child soon and a family all waiting for the baby.

What Is Ultrasound Imaging?

If one remembers his/her science lessons at school well enough, one should be able to discern that sound is made up of waves. These sound waves travel across vastness in all directions and may bounce off any surface. In this aspect, the sound emitted by a source may be bounced back to it. By applying a little more aspect of technology, this characteristic of sound waves makes it possible to detect the presence of objects such as the manner through which sonar is used by ships to detect hostile forces or by fishing ships to detect schools of fish.

In the same token, if the sound wave used is emitted in the ultrasound frequency, which is several hundreds of times greater than the limit of human hearing, there is created an image of the object that is subjected to ultrasound. As a result, this technology has found numerous applications because of its ability to produce an image of the object that is subjected to ultrasound. Because of this, ultrasound imaging became an integral part of all pregnancies because it allows doctors and couples alike to learn of the position of the fetus and even tell of its gender.

Pros and Cons of Ultrasound Imaging

In general, ultrasound imaging, just like anything else that is a product of science, is a mixed blessing. To give a better perspective of ultrasound imaging during pregnancy, the following are the pros and cons of the process:

Pros:

1)The main benefit of ultrasound imaging during pregnancy is that it allows couples to have a glimpse of the baby that would soon be joining the family. This way, it allows couples to have an idea of how the baby will look and whose features were copied.

2)An ultrasound imaging during pregnancy allows doctors to be aware of the position of the organs. Hence, this will allow for a rapid detection in case there are abnormalities in the growth of the baby or in the positioning of the organs.

Cons:

1)The main setback with ultrasound during pregnancy is that it has a limited penetration effect. This means that only the area nearest the scanner will be observed, in such a way that other problems may be hidden and left untreated.