In Japan, an ultrasound scan (''echo'') is performed at every pregnancy checkup as a matter of course, but it is said that such a country is rare in the world. I think it is a fun time for pregnant women and their families to have an echo examination because they can see their cute babies

An ultrasound is an important part of the pregnancy checkup to see if the baby is alive, whether the head is down or breech, and whether the amount of amniotic fluid is low. In addition to that, it is also a very important purpose to check if the fetus' body structure is normal.

Why do you need to check your baby`s body structure?
If a baby is suspected of having a fetal disease, it is very important to figure out the following points. What is the diagnosis (including suspicion), whether treatment is needed immediately after birth, what kind of treatment will be given, and how the child will grow with the treatment. It is of great benefit to your baby and the family to know before birth. In addition, there are many conditions that can actually help your baby thrive if treated soon after birth.

Detailed observation of your baby`s body structure by ultrasound is time consuming and requires experience. For this reason, it cannot be done at every pregnancy checkup. It should only be done at the appropriate time for the test (once or twice during pregnancy) for a sufficient amount of time. We are equipped with the latest ultrasound equipment and our director has performed many ultrasounds in the past. We encourage all pregnant women who visit us to have an ultrasound at our clinic.

The best time to observe is when
12-13 weeks of pregnancy (first trimester screening)
19 - 20 week of pregnancy (second trimester anomaly scan).

During this period, please make an appointment separately from the pregnancy check-up (weekdays are recommended). The director will spend about 30 minutes performing the test. It is a time-consuming test and will not be performed within the normal pregnancy checkup.

First trimester screening allows you to check major abnormalities, even though the fetus is still small. We can also perform an early combined test, which calculates the probability of a chromosomal abnormality (trisomy 21, trisomy 18 and trisomy 13), at the same time. (We offer this test only on request, so please make an appointment for genetic counseling in advance.)

We recommend to all of our pregnant women in our clinic have second trimester anomaly scan. During anomaly scan, the fetus's body is fully grown and its body structure is carefully examined.

 

If we suspect any abnormality in the fetus' body structure, we will refer you to an appropriate specialized medical institution.

Even if you are having a checkup at another facility, feel free to contact us for ultrasound at our clinic. Call us or go online to make an appointment.