Ultrasound Services
Dating Scan
best done at about 7/8 weeks. This can be incorporated into your booking visit for your pregnancy, or can be done prior to this visit. This will require a separate referral from your doctor to ensure you receive your maximum Medicare rebate. Whilst it is sensible to have a bladder that is not completely empty, we do NOT require you to try and drink large volumes of water prior to the scan.
Top ^
Nuchal Translucency Scanning
Can only be done between 11 weeks and 13 weeks and 6 days, and even then it still depends on the exact length (CRL or “Crown Rump Length”) of the baby. Blood tests are essential to this test, and are ideally done at 11 weeks. Best results for scanning are obtained at 12 weeks. This requires a separate referral to that for antenatal care from your referring doctor. As correct dating is essential to get the best results from this test, your doctor may also refer you for a dating scan at about 7 weeks of pregnancy. While it is sensible to have a bladder that is not completely empty, we do NOT require you to try and drink large volumes of water prior to the scan.
Top ^
Morphology Scanning
Ideally done between 19 and 22 weeks. This takes between 30 and 45 minutes for the examination. At the end of the assessment, you will have a copy of your report, hard copies of images of your baby and a disc with all images captured as JPEG’s to enjoy at home and share with family and friends.
Top ^
Monitoring of fetal abnormality
In the unfortunate case that baby has some problem, then monitoring of the condition in a clinical setting privately is possible. It may be as simple as “another opinion” on a previous scan, or monitoring locally of a previously diagnosed problem by a sub-specialist. In any case, full information will be provided to parents as well as a copy of their ultrasound report at the end of the session.
Top ^
Growth and Well-being Scanning
This examination compares baby to a dataset of “normal” baby values to make a judgement as to whether baby is too big, or too small or just right (!). At the same time, it is usual to make an assessment as to the well being of the placenta, by measuring it’s function. If serial (multiple) ultrasounds are needed to monitor baby’s progress over time, then all the parameters are graphed progressively, proving a powerful clinical tool to chart the well-being of your baby.
Extra time is allowed at your 28 and 32 week visit should it be necessary for you to have an ultrasound to check these parameters. If all is well after your clinical examination, then ultrasound will not be performed “routinely”. This is in accordance with the first principles of ultrasound scanning; “use the lowest dose of ultrasound required and only when the examination is clinically necessary”.