A Growth Scan is normally done, between 28 – 32 weeks of pregnancy, to assess the growth of your baby and amount of liquor. It is a standard scanning procedure used to check the development of the baby in the third trimester.
A growth scan is very important to check the normal development of the foetus inside the womb.
A growth scan is used to check if the baby is healthy by monitoring the baby’s weight and various body measurements, to know about the position of the baby, determine the amount of amniotic fluid present, check the position and maturity of the placenta, check the position of the umbilical cord, check the wellbeing and circulation of the baby. It also gives an insight into how a previous caesarean scar looks. Monitoring of multiple pregnancies is also done through it.
The doctor asks the patient to lie on a couch and uncover the abdomen and applies gel on the abdomen. Then he/she passes a handheld probe over the skin of the abdomen. The gel is applied to make sure that there is good contact between the probe and the skin. As the probe moves, a black and white 2-D image of the baby will appear on the ultrasound screen.
Though these scans are perfectly safe and do not have any side-effects, your doctor may only advise you to get one done if he suspects something is amiss.