Is A Doppler Ultrasound Necessary During Pregnancy?

Pregnancy is synonymous with carefulness. All couples wish to have a complication-free pregnancy and a healthy baby. With the rapid progress of medical science, managing pregnancy complications has become easy. The technological interventions made it even easier, to detect problems with advanced tests to handle complicated pregnancies.

This is why a pregnant woman goes through a lot of tests during her pregnancy. A Doppler ultrasound or color Doppler sonography is one of the tests that help understand if any risks are involved in pregnancy. You may be skeptical about the necessity and safety of this test. This article will explain all the facts that you need to know about color Doppler sonography or ultrasound.

What Is Doppler Ultrasound or Color Doppler Sonography?

A color Doppler ultrasound or sonography is a test where ultrasound waves are used to detect the health of blood vessels and blood circulation in the baby and the mother’s womb. A monitor is attached to the ultrasound machine. The ultrasound machine sends waves that echo and form a colorful graphic on the attached monitor.

It is a screening process to understand if there is any complication in the cardiovascular activity, pulmonary vessels, and blood circulation in the fetus inside the mother's womb. 

Why do Doctors prescribe A Doppler or Color Doppler Sonography?

Whether it is a high-risk or normal pregnancy, doctors prescribe the color Doppler sonography or ultrasound. Generally, they prescribe this test twice for high-risk pregnancies and once for normal pregnancies. Although this test is meant to understand blood flow and blood vessel health, it also detects many other problems with pregnancy. We have listed the reasons for performing this test.

Blood Flow

The main purpose of performing this test during pregnancy is to check the blood vessel health and the blood flow conditions of the fetus and mother’s womb. The normal blood flow will be interrupted if any blood clot or blockage develops in blood vessels or pathways.

Detect Congenital Problems and Foetal Growth

The growth of the fetus may be affected or certain abnormalities may occur, in complicated pregnancies and multiple pregnancies. This test also detects abnormal growth and congenital abnormalities of the fetus.

Monitoring Foetal Health

Normal or high-risk, any pregnancy needs to be monitored along with the growth and health of the fetus. The color Doppler ultrasound helps monitor the health of the fetus with the color graphics.

Determine Foetal Care

The test results help doctors understand the growth rate of the fetus or if the fetus's health is at risk. Doctors then determine the fetal care measures to prevent the premature delivery of the baby. 

Intrauterine Growth Restrictions

Women with high-risk and complicated pregnancies develop some intrauterine growth inside the uterus. This will complicate the situation, restrict fetus growth, and may life threatening too. The color Doppler sonography or ultrasound detects the conflict in the blood flow of the mother’s womb, which is an indication of intrauterine growth restrictions.

Detection Of Placenta Accreta

Placenta Accreta is an acute condition in which the placenta is tightly stuck to the inside wall of the uterus. It may cause heavy bleeding during the delivery of the baby, which puts both mother and baby at life risk. The color Doppler sonography helps detect this acute condition at an early stage.

Is Doppler Ultrasound Necessary During Pregnancy?

A color Doppler sonography or ultrasound is necessary more than once in case of complicated and high-risk pregnancies to measure the risk, keep track, and take action to mitigate the risk. 

Women with normal pregnancies also need color Doppler sonography at least once during the later stage of pregnancy. In both cases, it is necessary during pregnancy to deliver a healthy baby safely.

The Usual Time Of The Test In Pregnancy

Doctors prescribe color Doppler sonography twice for complicated pregnancies. Once between 10 to 12 weeks and once between 31 to 40 weeks. On the other hand, a normal pregnancy needs a test between 31 to 40 weeks. However, it depends upon the doctor how many times you need to perform the test.

Is Color Doppler Sonography Safe During Pregnancy?

The color Doppler sonography or ultrasound is safe with zero invasion. This test does not need any cutting or pricking. The procedure only involved sending ultrasound waves into the abdomen and receiving the echo.

Conclusion

Before the technological advancement of medical science, there was no provision to handle complicated pregnancies. The color Doppler sonography and other tests of the present era help physicians with faster detection of problems during pregnancy. Faster detection allows them to treat patients from an early stage and take necessary precautions for the safe delivery of the baby. Do not stress yourself with rumors of safety issues. Such advanced tests aim to handle pregnancy with care and avoid any loss. Star Imaging & Path Lab Ltd is one of the leading diagnostic center in Delhi helping you get all tests done in a single place, contact us today at 011-4560-2200.