# Pregnancy ultrasound

Technology · id `maternal:obstetric-ultrasound` · Maternal & Newborn Atlas · release `c7fb95f1d15a7d13` (public)

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Browse, life stage: Pregnancy  
Browse, care area: The baby before birth  

## In plain language

A scan that uses sound waves to make pictures, here of the baby inside the womb. MedlinePlus says it is used to monitor the health and development of a fetus, and that a routine scan between weeks 18 and 22 of pregnancy is common, with more scans at other times if there are concerns. Doppler is one type of ultrasound and shows movement, including the beating heart of a fetus. A normal scan does not guarantee a healthy baby, and not all birth defects show up on an ultrasound.

## Technical summary

Parent technology page for dating, anatomy, growth and Doppler scans. The description follows the MedlinePlus Ultrasound medical-test page (NLM public-domain text). Doppler ultrasound of the umbilical artery and fetal echocardiography are filed under it. Evidence about specific uses sits in other records: universal third-trimester scanning in the POP cohort (see the late-detection page), Doppler in high-risk pregnancy (Cochrane) and AI reading of blind sweeps (idea page).

## Connected pages

- Main way fetal growth is seen: Fetal development (`maternal:fetal-development`)
- Universal third-trimester scanning tested in the POP study: Late growth restriction is often missed before birth (`maternal:bottleneck-late-fgr-detection`)
- Filed under this front: Imaging and monitoring (`maternal:front-imaging-and-monitoring`)
- Required by: AI reading of blind-sweep ultrasound to date pregnancies where sonographers are scarce (`maternal:idea-ai-blind-sweep-ultrasound`)
- Used by: Fetal echocardiography (`maternal:fetal-echocardiography`)
- Investigated in: TRUFFLE trial (timing of birth in early fetal growth restriction) (`maternal:truffle-trial`)
- Has subtype: Umbilical artery Doppler ultrasound (`maternal:umbilical-artery-doppler`)

## Provenance

Content hash: 4b7802808e98a5025306dc8f2dcdffbf0240037a764e490b73e38f5609bef14d
Last substantive edit: 2026-10-14
Evidence last checked: 2026-10-14