A miscarriage is an unplanned pregnancy ending. Lower abdominal cramps, vaginal discharge, tissue leakage from the vagina, and bleeding are some of the early indicators of a miscarriage. For any woman, having a miscarriage is a trying and sensitive time. You could feel as though everything in your life has fallen apart after a miscarriage.
There are several causes of miscarriage. A doctor could recommend a few diagnostic tests to determine whether you have miscarried. Additionally, the examinations can verify if your womb still contains some pregnancy tissue. Urine, blood, and ultrasound testing are common diagnostic procedures used to identify miscarriage. This blog discusses using an ultrasound scan to diagnose miscarriage.
How Does An Ultrasound Test Detect Miscarriage?
An ultrasound exam helps identify the reason of the miscarriage by producing pictures of the interior of the uterus using high-frequency sound waves.
A transducer, a tiny portable instrument, is applied to the abdomen or introduced into the vagina during the test. A image of the inside of the uterus is displayed on a computer screen by use of the transducer, which emits sound waves and detects the echoes that return. By demonstrating that the gestational sac, which houses the growing embryo, is empty or non-viable, an ultrasound can assist in the confirmation of a miscarriage. The test may occasionally reveal that a woman has a blighted ovum, a kind of miscarriage in which the embryo does not develop but the gestational sac does.
It's important to remember that not every miscarriage—especially those that occur early in pregnancy—can be identified by ultrasound. A radiologist or obstetrician typically interprets the test results and informs the patient of the next stages in their therapy.
On an ultrasound examination, a miscarriage may show up as an empty gestational sac or as a gestational sac carrying a baby without a heartbeat. It is crucial to remember that ultrasonography cannot identify every miscarriage.
What Does An Ultrasound Result Look Like?
The majority of ultrasonography pictures are usually blurry and in black and white. The variations in the density of the materials that the sound travels through account for the color discrepancies.
How To Prepare For Ultrasound To Diagnose Miscarriage?
Preparation is typically not necessary for transvaginal ultrasounds. However, the physician advises drinking two to three glasses of water and refraining from visiting the restroom for at most an hour during an early pregnancy abdominal ultrasound. A full bladder facilitates the acquisition of crisp imaging images.
Different Ultrasound Tests for Miscarriages in Different Pregnancy Trimesters
Depending on the pregnancy trimester, several kinds of ultrasound tests are used to identify miscarriage. As a result, the trimester in which an ultrasound is conducted might affect the test's outcome.
First-trimester ultrasound testing for miscarriages:
- The doctor often advises an ultrasound or sonogram in the first trimester to check for any pregnancy-related issues. This test aids in determining if the embryo is developing normally inside the uterus. If the miscarriage happens in the first trimester, an ultrasound will probably be ordered by the doctor to identify it.
Ultrasound Test for Second Trimester Miscarriage:
- An abnormality scan is carried out in the second trimester to evaluate the baby's growth, look for any significant structural anomalies, and determine the placenta's location. The doctor advises an abnormality scan to identify miscarriages occurring in the second trimester.
Third-trimester ultrasound testing for miscarriages:
- In order to evaluate the baby's size and growth as well as the placenta's location, a doctor suggests a growth ultrasound during the third trimester of pregnancy. After 32 weeks, a Biophysical Profile (BPP) ultrasound is carried out to assess the baby's health and movements as well as to measure the volume of amniotic fluid and placenta function. In order to identify miscarriages that occur in the later weeks of the third trimester of pregnancy, the gynecologist recommends a growth ultrasound.