Factors impeding an ultrasound’s effectiveness

Ultrasound technology has been in place for decades and is proven safe, thereby making it the perfect way to scan for information about the developing baby, the placenta, the mother’s uterus and other relevant parts. However, not all ultrasounds clearly show the information sought. Parents are most likely to experience this in their search for the sex of their baby, which can actually be much harder to judge than you might think. But more serious results can also be impeded by an unhelpful scan, e.g. hiding the baby’s heartbeat or organ development. Here we explore several factors that can negatively impact on an ultrasound:

The baby’s position

Each ultrasound requires certain ‘cooperation’ from the baby. If the baby is poorly positioned this will greatly affect what the sonographer can and cannot see during the scan. Cooperation becomes a factor because the baby may need to change their position as the sonographer works, in order that they can obtain sufficient results and data. They may try to induce moment by gently rubbing the transducer on the mother’s abdomen, but many babies simply do not move during the scan. Therefore another ultrasound may soon be necessary, with the baby hopefully in a better position.

The mother’s layers

Additional layers of skin over the abdomen can often make the job of the sonographer very difficult. Every woman will put on weight during pregnancy and this is perfectly normal, but an abundance of layers will make the ultrasound picture far less clear, or even unclear. This is because, as a non-invasive and painless procedure, the technology is necessarily limited in its range, and additional layers obscure the image of the baby. Mothers-to-be can help to keep their weight at a more manageable level by maintaining a healthy, sensible diet during pregnancy.

Bad timing

Timing is a crucial factor with ultrasounds, which is why women are often advised to have scans for different purposes during different trimesters (see our page on ultrasound timing for more information). If a scan takes place too early or, occasionally, too late, certain necessary data can be harder to find. This is particularly noticeable when first attempting to detect the baby’s heartbeat: the initial scan may not find it, whereas a scan a few days later may have no such problems. Medical professionals try to be as accurate as possible, but some dating mishaps are inevitable (especially before a dating scan).

Equipment or sonographer

The factors explored above are most probably the cause of poor scan results; however, on occasion the equipment or sonographer themselves may be part of the problem. If an ultrasound machine is old, its image quality may not be as good as that of newer machines. This is due to simply wear and tear, in addition to advancing technology that can provide clearer images. The other possibility is that the sonographer has insufficient experience with ultrasounds, and is simply getting something wrong. Sonographers should be certified, and you should avoid people offering the service outside of a medical setting.