Ultrasound measure nuchal translucency at which week of pregnancy?

The article is professionally consulted by Master, Doctor Ta Quoc Ban - Department of Obstetrics and Gynecology - Vinmec Phu Quoc International General Hospital

Nuchal translucency ultrasound is one of the important prenatal screenings, it helps to detect whether the fetus is likely to have Down syndrome or not. What determines whether the nuchal translucency ultrasound is successful or not depends on the time and measurement technique, because sooner or later there is no accurate result.

Nuchal translucency (NT) ultrasound is a way to examine the nape of the fetus to diagnose Down syndrome. If the results of the ultrasound measure the nuchal translucency of the fetus are abnormal, the pregnant mother will have to conduct a few more tests to know exactly whether the baby has Down syndrome or not.

Through the results of ultrasound measurement of nuchal translucency, pregnant women can continue to be assigned to do some other tests such as amniocentesis, chorionic villus sampling... to continue to find chromosomal abnormalities in fetus. At the same time, you will also be instructed to do blood tests to measure HCG levels and PAPP-A protein (children with Down have high hCG and low PAPP-A), Doubltest, Triptest.. Then, the diagnosis. Down syndrome in children can give accurate results up to 90%. This is called the matching technique.
Nuchal translucency: the image of a sound drum (essentially a fluid) is located at the back of the neck, the upper limit can exceed the nape of the neck towards the skull, the lower limit extends to the back of the fetus. Physiologically present at 10 to 14 weeks.

Nuchal translucency ultrasound is usually performed between 11 weeks 6 days and 13 weeks 6 days of pregnancy. However, in the early weeks, the fetus may have different growth rates and slightly deviate from theoretical calculations.
Take measurements from 11 to 13 weeks 6 days 45 mm

The measurement technique is mainly done through ultrasound, but in some cases, additional vaginal scans are performed for the mother to get accurate results. There is no danger to mother and baby during manipulation.
If this index is high combined with other abnormalities, the doctor will order a chorionic villus biopsy or amniocentesis at 17-18 weeks of pregnancy to diagnose the disease. This ultrasound can also detect some other malformations such as anencephaly, cleft palate, no nasal bone...
In fact, there are many pregnant women who go for an ultrasound and the results still show that the fetus is still developing. well developed. However, babies are born with unusual problems. The main cause of this condition in children is that the pregnant mother skips the ultrasound measurement of the nuchal translucency at the necessary time. Mothers keep thinking about the results of regular ultrasounds but forget that to ensure the development of the fetus, the mother also has to perform other tests along with it.

Nuchal translucency ultrasound is performed by transabdominal ultrasound. However, in some special cases, for mothers whose uterus is tilted back or if the mother is too fat, it may be necessary to conduct transducer ultrasound to give the most accurate results. All these techniques do not pose any danger to mother and baby.
Take measurements from week 11 to 13 weeks 6 days 45 mm

Also in this pregnancy ultrasound, the mother will be able to clearly see parts of the baby's body such as the head, spine, limbs, feet, and hands on the screen. Ultrasounds at these weeks of pregnancy can also help your doctor detect abnormalities in your baby's abdomen or skull. However, to be sure, you should not skip the follow-up ultrasound at 16 and 20 weeks of pregnancy.

Measurement of nuchal translucency is very important, helping to accurately determine whether the fetus has Down or not, the first 3 months is the golden time for the most accurate results. As a result, the accuracy of this technique depends greatly on the ultrasound equipment and the doctor's expertise.
Vinmec International General Hospital is a high-quality medical facility that is highly appreciated by customers for its quality of examination and treatment as well as professional services. Vinmec has the most modern equipment system, with the most advanced ultrasound machines in the world and a team of experienced obstetricians in prenatal diagnosis and intervention to help monitor and detect early fetal malformations.
In addition, to protect the health of mother and baby comprehensively, Vinmec offers a variety of package maternity services, in which a 12-week maternity package helps to monitor the health of mother and baby right from the beginning of pregnancy. period, early detection and timely intervention of health problems. In addition to the usual services, the maternity monitoring program from 12 weeks has special services that other maternity packages do not have such as: Double Test or Triple Test to screen for fetal malformations; Quantitative angiogenesis factor test to diagnose preeclampsia; thyroid screening test; Rubella test; Testing for parasites transmitted from mother to child seriously affects the baby's brain and physical development after birth. Ultrasound technique in the 12-week package is performed using a high-end 4D ultrasound system such as the GE Voluson E10, which helps to detect more than 95% of anomalies in this period. Packed with the latest technologies, the GE Voluson E10 enables enhanced image quality and penetration for outstanding high-resolution images and easy operation.
After the results of antenatal check-up and tests are available, doctors will analyze and advise on genetics, nutrition, and a reasonable rest regimen for pregnant women to help mothers and babies have the best health, and develop fetuses. comprehensive development.
If you have a need to use maternity services at Vinmec, please register directly at the website to be served.