

Our midwife describes whether 3D scans are safe for you and your baby. After 32 weeks, your baby's head may go deep down in your pelvis, so you may not be able to see her face. If you decide to have one, the best time to have a 3D or 4D scan is when you're between 27 weeks and 32 weeks pregnant.īefore 27 weeks your baby has very little fat under her skin, so the bones of her face will show through. So it's unlikely that these scans will replace normal 2D scans used for routine maternity care in the NHS. There are few clear medical benefits, and experts say they should only be done if there's a medical need.
4D SONOGRAM SOFTWARE
The special transducers and software required to do 3D and 4D scans are expensive. The clinic may also give you a recording of the scan on DVD, though this is likely to cost extra. If you’d like a 3D or 4D scan you’ll probably need to arrange it privately, and pay a fee. Nonetheless, any type of ultrasound scan should only be performed by a trained professional, for as short a time and at the lowest intensity, as possible.

There’s no evidence to suggest that the scans aren’t safe, and most mums-to-be gain reassurance from them.

As a result, some fetal medicine units do use 3D scans, but only when they're medically necessary. This can help doctors to plan treatment to repair a baby’s cleft lip after birth.ģD scanning can also be useful to look at the heart and other internal organs. Because these scans can show more detail from different angles, they can help in the diagnosis of cleft lip. Some private ultrasounds can be as long as 45 minutes to an hour, which may be longer than recommended safety limits.ģD and 4D scans may nonetheless provide more information about a known abnormality. However, experts do not recommend having 3D or 4D scans purely for a souvenir photo or recording, because it means that you are exposing your baby to more ultrasound than is medically necessary. You may see the shape of your baby's mouth and nose, or be able to spot her yawning or sticking her tongue out.ģD and 4D scans are considered as safe as 2D scans, because the images are made up of sections of two-dimensional images converted into a picture.
4D SONOGRAM SKIN
With 3D and 4D scans, you see your baby's skin rather than her insides. This is because the scan sees right through your baby, so the photos show her internal organs. But some mums find the standard 2D scans disappointing when all they see is a grey, blurry outline. It's natural to be really excited by the prospect of your first scan. 4D scans show moving 3D images of your baby, with time being the fourth dimension. 3D scans show still pictures of your baby in three dimensions.
