The new generation of high resolution ultrasound machines improves the diagnostic capacity and detection of fetal malformations. This is the case of 5D ultrasound that allows the baby to be seen in the uterus in five dimensions, achieving a much more defined and realistic reconstruction of the fetus than 4D or 3D.
In fact, this non-invasive test allows to capture three-dimensional images in real time of the fetus in the mother’s uterus and using interactive glasses a video of the baby can be seen in 3D.
Of course, as pointed out by Dr. María Teresa Martínez García, from the Gynecology and Obstetrics Service of the Sanitas La Moraleja University Hospital (Madrid), it is not yet included in the pregnancy reviews and “should not replace any of the tests established diagnoses in the pregnancy follow-up circuit ”.
Accurate diagnosis of fetal malformations
This diagnostic test uses ultrasound to generate three-dimensional images that allow us to check how the baby is developing in the womb by studying its growth and placental function. It offers the possibility of seeing the child in motion, since a video of the baby generated through 3D images is obtained. Its software reduces stains, removes noise from images and enhances the edges of tissues, giving the baby image with greater resolution and clarity and with shadow tones that give a realistic appearance to the features of the fetus’ face. , very similar to its appearance at birth .
As explained by the doctor from the Hospital de la Moraleja:
“Currently there are no studies that determine the detection rate of fetal malformations, but it is accepted that it reaches up to 85% in the best conditions. The fact of having high resolution ultrasounds makes this percentage much higher now ”.
And it is that the 5D ultrasound is used to obtain precise information on the correct evolution of the fetus, as well as the diagnosis of diseases that are suspected of having or brain malformations, of the face and lower or upper extremities, also in multiple pregnancies.
But it adds an emotional value for parents: not only does it allow you to see the baby’s features perfectly, we can see if he laughs, gestures or makes small movements .
Differences with 4D and 3D ultrasounds
Compared to the usual two-dimensional ultrasound, the 3D one that allows you to see the depth of the anatomical structure of the fetus and the 4D that allows you to observe the fetal movements, while the 5D captures extremely realistic videos in real time, with a detailed view of the characteristics of the fetus through images that can even show the tones and nuances of the skin.
In addition, it offers more guarantees so that professionals can detect prenatal malformations such as cleft lip. This is how Dr. María Teresa García explains it, by ensuring that “the quality and definition of the image are far superior to previous models”.
“Regardless of the evident emotional value for parents, it places us specialists in an optimal situation for the diagnosis of externally visible malformations, such as cleft lip, or internal ones, such as neural tube defects, brain injuries, and heart or the skeletal system of the fetus ”.
The main difference between 4D and 5D ultrasound is the treatment of the images , which are displayed more clearly and with more textures. While 4D is known as emotional ultrasound , 5D is called ‘the way of life’ , since the baby is seen as if it were in front of it.
Main advantages of the ultrasound called “way of life”
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The feeling of knowing your baby before it is born is much more real.
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The 3D image obtained of the fetus is very similar to what it is in reality.
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A video is obtained, generated through high definition (HD) images.
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It is a very useful technique to control the correct development of the pregnancy. This technique is less sensitive in situations in which the fetus is in an unfavorable position, the mother suffers from obesity, the placental location makes it difficult or a decrease in amniotic fluid is detected.
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The expert has stressed that this test goes beyond the mere aesthetic observation of the fetus: “In the hands of an experienced professional, 5D ultrasound complements the two-dimensional study of fetal organs with complex three-dimensional reconstructions .”
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He adds that “it is extremely useful for the assessment of brain, spinal, limb or cardiovascular system malformations and allows us to carry out delayed analysis of certain complex malformations that would require much more study time using less advanced techniques.”
- If performed before pregnancy, they are very useful in the diagnosis of uterine malformations.
What week is the 5D ultrasound done?
To guarantee the optimal result, Dr. Martínez García recommends that it be performed between 26 to 30 weeks of pregnancy. Depending on the moment chosen, some features or others will be seen:
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Between 12 and 20 weeks: You can see the baby’s body but not its features.
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Between 24 and 32 weeks: You can see the baby’s well-defined features, even if he grimaces, sucks his finger, or sticks his tongue out.
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From week 32 onwards: the position of the baby is observed, but a lower proportion of the amniotic fluid can make it difficult to see clearly his face and gestures.
Dr. Martínez García has also insisted that 5D ultrasound is not among the basic tests to monitor pregnancy, despite its many advantages.
“It is true: it adds a lot of diagnostic value, but today, it should not replace any of the diagnostic tests established in the pregnancy monitoring circuit”.
But better let yourself be carried away by the images to understand what the 5D ultrasound looks like.
Photos provided by La Moraleja University Hospital) and iStock.
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