Introduction
An ultrasound refers to a clinical procedure of medical imaging, which uses frequency waves to view the unborn baby. Health practitioners conduct an ultrasound scan to examine the baby’s movements and physiology. The procedure helps them identify health conditions, which if addressed early; enables the baby to live long and productive life after birth. However, the safety of ultrasound scans during pregnancy raises some health concerns. Some people believe that it has some fatal side effects to the fetus due to the high levels of temperature. On the contrary, some health care practitioners believe that an ultrasound scan is safe; thus, pregnant women may go through it in some stages of their pregnancy. They argue that the effects of an ultrasound scan to a fetus are negligible because they do not cause major defects to the developing fetus.
Purpose
The researcher wishes to determine the safety of an ultrasound scan to the unborn baby. They aim at examining the alleged health concerns to identify whether an ultrasound scan is potentially harmful or not. Similarly, they will determine the popularity of ultrasound scans among mothers.
Background
Over the recent years, ultrasound scans have become popular during pregnancy. Expectant mothers go through the procedure to rule out the possibility of conditions such as ectopic pregnancy. Similarly, pre-natal health care providers recommend it to test the unborn baby’s heartbeat. The advancement of modern technology has brought modern equipment and procedures to enable health care providers assess the overall health of the unborn baby. Similarly, they may examine the baby’s anatomical development to locate any development of an abnormality such as a growth. Essentially, health organizations recommend it to detect preterm bleeding1. Hence, every pregnant woman should go through a sonography before they give birth to reduce chances of bearing a challenged baby.
Scope
The research will describe the process of an ultrasound scan to an expectant woman. It will explain the procedure to view the woman’s anatomy to come up with the image of the unborn baby. The researcher will involve healthcare professionals to enable them learn more about the ultrasound scan.
Discussion
Many healthcare institutions embrace ultrasound scans to detect any defects in the unborn baby. The process has achieved significantly because it helps manage some health conditions which could develop into serious health problems in future. If the unborn baby exhibits some problems, the doctor may treat them as early as possible to enable the mother go through the pregnancy period without problems and bear a defect free child. There are concerns that an ultrasound is sometimes uncomfortable. A woman may feel pain if the doctor uses too much force to press on their abdomen. In addition, medical researchers recommend an ultrasound only when it is necessary. Therefore, a woman should avoid sonography if they do not have problems.
Approach
Medics suggest that mothers attend all the prenatal appointments to ensure that the unborn baby is healthy. Similarly, the checks allow the nurse to determine any abnormal growth or development of the fetus. Regular visits to the prenatal clinic help a pregnant mother follow up and report any problem that they might experience during pregnancy. Sometimes, a gynecologist may advise a pregnant mother to go through other medical interventions to help her maintain the baby. There are some health concerns which demand that a pregnant mother goes through various tests to help her go on with the pregnancy.
Results
The study suggests that an ultrasound scan is a vital medical intervention during pregnancy to many women. It is the precursor to the development of a healthy baby because it allows doctors locate any problem while the baby is still young. Similarly, it helps them manage serious health conditions which could render the baby unproductive later in life. To the mother, an ultrasound helps doctors detect conditions such as cervical cancer2. When detected early, it can be treated successfully. Medical reports reveal that cervical cancer is the latest health threat to women of child bearing age.
Statement of the Work
Proper healthcare to a pregnant woman is vital in ensuring that they give birth to a healthy baby. Failure to follow up on pre-natal clinics during pregnancy exposes a mother and the unborn baby to various risks. The mother ought to remain on high alert regarding the health of their unborn baby. It is important that they go through an ultrasound scan to ensure that their babies are defect free. Moreover, they may receive medical intervention in case of any abnormalities. Similarly, the sonographer may determine any pre-term bleeding and attend to the expectant mother in time to reduce chances of a still birth.
Personnel
The researcher will engage healthcare practitioners; particularly birth attendants to unearth the issue of ultrasound during pregnancy. Similarly, they will interview experienced sonographers to get a clue on what sonography is and its relevance in medical practice. The researcher will also involve gynecologists to help them understand some underlying heath conditions that may call for a sonography to a pregnant woman.
Facilities
The researcher will require various resources during the study. They need stationery to note down important points. Similarly, they will need audio visual devices to enable them record the interview and the sonography process during clinical demonstration.
Costs
During the survey, the researcher will incur some expenses. They will travel to health institutions to collect data and interview health care providers. Therefore, they will incur both travel and accommodation expenses. Other costs include cash to purchase stationery and other resources to help them collect and analyze data.
Fiscal
The researcher will need $ 20 as travel expenses, $ 100 accommodation cost, $32.50 to buy stationery and $ 29 for petty uses.
Figure 1.0 A shows the expenses that the researcher will incur during the study.
Time
The research is time intensive. Therefore, the researcher needs enough time to book appointments with the healthcare providers to conduct the interview. Similarly, they will need time to observe a sonography procedure in a healthcare institution. The researcher may take around four days to collect and analyze data. Additionally, they need at least three hours per day for four days to conduct the interview. They will interpret the data in three days.
Conclusion
Ultrasound is an acceptable practice in clinical care. The procedure uses sound waves to create a baby’s image in the womb to help the doctor view the baby and its movements. Studies reveal that sonography do not influence problems such as low birth weight among others. Many women prefer to go through an ultrasound scan before they carry their pregnancy to term. The temperature during a sonography is deemed suitable for the fetus and cannot cause undesirable side effects. The doctor may advise a pregnant woman to go through additional ultrasound scans if they experienced problems during earlier pregnancies or if they are diabetic. Similarly, they may go through other scans if they are hypertension patients or are overweight.
Summary
Modern ultrasound scans are safe due to their favorable temperature indices. Therefore, one is unlikely to experience severe side effects even after a long exposure. However, some scans such as the Doppler have a high-temperature level; thus, it is not wise to expose a patient to the current for more than thirty minutes3. The ultrasound should be performed by an experienced health care provider who understands the durations of the pregnancy and the most suitable procedure. Medical researchers believe that ultrasound scans during pregnancy have gone to great depths to reduce maternal deaths and long term health conditions to the fetus.
Bibliography
Benson, Carol B, and Edward I. Bluth. 2008. Ultrasonography in Obstetrics and Gynecology: A Practical Approach to Clinical Problems. New York: Thieme.
Chudleigh, Patricia, and Basky Thilaganathan. 2003. Obstetric Ultrasound: How, Why and When. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
Sohn, Christof, Hans-Joachim Voigt, and Klaus Vetter. 2004. Doppler Ultrasound in Gynecology and Obstetrics. Stuttgart: Thieme.
Footnotes
- Benson, Carol B, and Edward I. Bluth. 2008. Ultrasonography in Obstetrics and Gynecology: A Practical Approach to Clinical Problems. New York: Thieme.
- Chudleigh, Patricia, and Basky Thilaganathan. 2003. Obstetric Ultrasound: How, Why and When. Edinburgh: Churchill Livingstone.
- Sohn, Christof, Hans-Joachim Voigt, and Klaus Vetter. 2004. Doppler Ultrasound In Gynecology and Obstetrics. Stuttgart: Thieme.