Nowadays, many mothers-to-be know through various propaganda that there is a magical technology called “4D ultrasound”, which enables mothers-to-be to realize the wish of taking “zero year old portraits” of their babies. But when is the best time to do 4D ultrasound? In addition to allowing parents-to-be to “meet” their unborn baby in advance, the main function of 4D ultrasound is that it can conduct various examinations on the fetus and detect problems in fetal growth, such as cleft lip and spina bifida, etc. In addition, the image display of 4D ultrasound is clearer and more accurate than traditional ultrasound and B-ultrasound. Therefore, for the health of pregnant women and fetuses, it is necessary to choose to do 4D ultrasound for maternity checkups. When is the best time to do 4D ultrasound: The best time to do 4D ultrasound is between 26 and 30 weeks of pregnancy. The best time to have a 4D ultrasound is between 26 and 30 weeks of pregnancy. 1. Firstly, the 4D ultrasound mainly checks for facial deformities: the 4D ultrasound focuses on observing whether the fetal eyes and orbits are equal in size and round, as well as measuring the distance between the eyes, and whether the hard palate, soft palate and upper lip curves are continuously interrupted. Next, the fetal baby’s neck is screened for abnormal masses. 2.Screening for spinal deformity is to focus on whether there is bulge in the spine, whether there is interruption in the light band, whether there is disorder in the arrangement, whether there is mass in the sacrococcygeal region, etc. Other deformities such as abdominal deformities and limb deformities are not difficult to detect by observing them one by one. 3. Secondly, 4D ultrasound mainly examines the nervous system: anencephaly, hydrocephalus, microcephaly, spina bifida and cerebrospinal membrane bulge. In the 4D ultrasound fetal screening test, the first thing to be screened is cranial malformation. During the examination, the examiner will critically observe the fetal head shape, brain tissue (thalamus, cerebellum, cerebellar earth, posterior cranial fossa pool, lateral ventricle) and the distance of the midline from the skull plates on both sides to screen for anencephaly, dewlap, hydrocephalus and other conditions. 5.There is also 4D ultrasound mainly examines urinary system, hydronephrosis, polycystic kidney and giant bladder, urethral obstruction. 6.Most importantly, 4D ultrasound mainly checks digestive system: umbilical intestinal bulge, visceral turn-out, intestinal atresia and megacolon, etc. Short limb malformation, joint malformation, congenital heart disease and teratology, etc. What does 4D ultrasound do to have a fetus 4D ultrasound is no longer just to feel the baby’s breathing and movement, but to witness their every move and well-behaved show. More importantly, 4D ultrasound can observe the growth and development of the fetus in the womb in multiple directions and angles, providing accurate scientific basis for early diagnosis of fetal congenital physical malformations and congenital heart diseases. What are the items of 4D ultrasound? 4D ultrasound can visually see the fetus’ activities in the mother’s body and judge whether the fetus is developing well according to the activities. Generally speaking, 4D ultrasound examines several aspects from fetal facial malformations, neurological system, digestive system, urinary system, and other malformations. Through 4D ultrasound, we can check whether the fetus has cleft lip and palate, hydrocephalus, spina bifida, internal organ ectasia, hydronephrosis, urethral obstruction, excessive amniotic fluid, etc. Generally speaking, the results of 4D ultrasound will be available immediately after the ultrasound is done, usually between ten minutes and half an hour. If abnormalities are found, Down screening and amniocentesis will be required for further diagnosis. 4D ultrasound can diagnose: 1, fetal facial abnormalities: such as cleft lip and palate, etc. 2. Neurological system: anencephaly, hydrocephalus, microcephaly, spina bifida and cerebrospinal membrane bulge. 3.Gastrointestinal system: umbilical intestinal bulge, visceral ectopia, intestinal atresia and megacolon, etc. 4.Urological system: hydronephrosis, polycystic kidney and giant bladder, urethral obstruction. 5.Other malformations: short limb malformation, joint malformation, cleft lip, four heart cavities. 6, too much and too little amniotic fluid, etc. What is the scope of use of 4D ultrasound 4D ultrasound technology is the use of 3D ultrasound images plus time dimension parameters. This revolutionary technology is capable of acquiring 3D images in real time, surpassing the limitations of traditional ultrasound. It provides multifaceted applications in multiple fields including abdomen, blood vessels, small organs, obstetrics, gynecology, urology, neonatal and pediatrics, and is the most advanced color ultrasound device in the world today. What is the preparation work before 4D ultrasound examination? Obstetrics 4D ultrasound examination: 1. 4D ultrasound can be done at any gestational week, but it should be emphasized that there are controversies in doing 4D ultrasound in early pregnancy (before 12 weeks of pregnancy), and for safety reasons, it is recommended to do fetal 4D ultrasound after 20 weeks of pregnancy. 2. The fetus’ limbs and all major organs have been fully developed after 20 weeks of pregnancy, but it is suitable for fetal malformation screening in 22-26 weeks of pregnancy because the fetal organs are more perfectly developed and the amount of amniotic fluid is more. Gynecological 4D ultrasound examination 1. Abdominal 4D ultrasound examination is not restricted by time, except for patients with middle and late pregnancy, who need to fill their bladders. Given that patients need to endure the pain of holding urine and the transabdominal examination is far less clear than the transvaginal examination, it is recommended to use transvaginal 4D ultrasound. 2. Transvaginal 4D ultrasound requires bladder emptying, no need to hold urine, and can be performed at any time, but pay attention to sterilization during menstruation to prevent infection. 3. Transrectal 4D ultrasound requires emptying of the bladder and rectum. Can 4D ultrasound see the gender? 4D ultrasound can clearly show the influence of fetal activity, so it is possible to see the gender of the fetus. Since it is forbidden to view the sex of the fetus in China, it is illegal for doctors to reveal or imply the sex of the fetus to pregnant women through any means, so when doing 4D ultrasound, doctors usually avoid the lower half of the fetus and will not show the second sex characteristics of the fetus on the images. And for young parents, the health of the fetus is the point of having a 4D ultrasound. Is it necessary for pregnant women to have 4D ultrasound? 4D ultrasound is a very important screening tool that can clearly see if the fetus has congenital malformations, so it is necessary to have a 4D ultrasound during pregnancy. It should be noted that it is controversial to do 4D ultrasound in early pregnancy (before 12 weeks of pregnancy), and for safety reasons, it is recommended to do 4D ultrasound after 16 weeks of pregnancy.