3D ultrasound: how much does it cost and when is it done?
3D ultrasound is now common use when you want to perform an antenatal examination during pregnancy. Many mothers prefer it to traditional ultrasound especially for the effect and the result it presents: a 3D image of their baby, instead of the usual difficult to read, two-dimensional and dark image. But how much does it cost and at how many weeks of pregnancy should it be done?
Ultrasounds in pregnancy: when are they done and how many are there?
Before discovering the technological wonders of 3D ultrasound, it is time to take a step back and recap: how many ultrasound scans are to be done during pregnancy, and when are they done? Dr. Alessia De Mita explains it to us in this video. learn more about the topic!
See also
Transvaginal ultrasound: what it is and when it is needed
How does it work?
Thanks to an advanced technology, the equipment for 3D ultrasound is able to memorize a certain number of sections by making a "rendering", which allows to obtain a "three-dimensional image of the fetus, which is not only accurate and high definition, but it gives a more concrete idea of how it is actually done. In short, you will have the impression that the baby is photographed inside the maternal belly. In the past the same effect was given by fetoscopy, now no longer in use because it was considered too invasive (and therefore with risks) which used a particular optical apparatus to visualize directly to the fetal structures.
How many weeks to go?
You can undergo 3D ultrasound for weeks of pregnancy and suprapubic between the 2nd and 3rd trimester. However, it can be performed successfully in any period of pregnancy. The only thing to keep in mind is that , from the 25th week onwards, you will see a medium-sized fetus and therefore the aesthetic impact will undoubtedly be greater. If you opt for a single 3D ultrasound, it is therefore advisable to do it at the time of the second ultrasound, called morphological.
What are the benefits?
The possibility of seeing the fetus in three dimensions facilitates the diagnosis of any anomalies, not only of the umbilical cord, but also of the limbs and all surface structures. And that's not all, because it also allows for developments in the early diagnosis of anomalies of the thorax as well as of internal fetal organs. Another advantage? To have two-dimensional projections of organs and structures, usually not obtainable with traditional ultrasound, especially if we are faced with cases of unfavorable fetal angulation. A fundamental factor for the study of the fetal heart. The 3D ultrasound also allows to measure the eventual uterine septum, thus avoiding the woman having recourse to more invasive tests such as hysterosalpingography or hysteroscopy. There is only a small problem: to achieve all this you need good equipment and not all clinical and hospital facilities have it. This is why traditional two-dimensional ultrasound remains the most popular at the moment.
3D ultrasound: the cost
Precisely because not all hospitals have the machinery suitable for 3D ultrasound, the cost is quite high, between 100 and 200 euros. However, there are gynecologists and more well-equipped public structures, which can also do it for free. 4D, on the other hand, which you find described below, is around 200, 250 euros.
4D ultrasound
You may not know it, but there is also 4D ultrasound. The latter allows you to see the fetus in three dimensions, in motion and in real time. In short, the future mother can see her little one "live". To achieve this, special “volumetric” probes are used, which acquire from 25 to 30 frames per second, without moving the probe.
