Ultrasound is a medical method of capturing static images of unborn babies inside mothers’ wombs. The ultrasound was first introduced in the mid-1960s but was not widely known until 1970s. Earlier ultrasound methods were not as efficient in producing quality images than the later ultrasound technologies.
There are three advances in the ultrasound technology. The 2D, 3D and the latest, 4D ultrasound. These three techniques use the same method of capturing images through sound waves except that later versions are more colorful, vivid, and of course you see a voluminous object in motion.
In a 2D ultrasound, a sonographer views different layers (planes) of the 20-week old baby, from the outer extremities to the internal organs.
While a 3D ultrasound, using the same machine, captures only the external extremities of the babies. 3D ultrasound are performed ideally on 24 to 34 weeks old babies because they have already gained brown fats. While a 4D ultrasound, shows moving images of unborn babies.
A comparative study was made assessing the significance of each the ultrasound techniques. And according to the researchers, “3D or 4D ultrasound provide a bonding experience for the mother and her unborn child which encourages mothers to improve their diets, exercise more frequently, and eliminate harmful behaviors such as smoking and drinking. For fathers and siblings, the chance to see the baby and create a pre-birth bond is instrumental in drawing the whole family closer during this time of change,” Expectant Mother’s Guide website reads.
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