Carnegie South & Carnegie Hill

Highly qualified and Registered Diagnostic Medical Sonographers (RDMS-certified) at Carnegie Imaging for Women perform extraordinarily precise ultrasound scans to help predict and diagnose any situation that might arise. With modern technologies and techniques, non-invasive ultrasound procedures can tell us more than ever before about your pregnancy, the condition of your baby (or babies), and help identify potential risk factors we can treat or prepare for early in pregnancy. Our patients benefit from early diagnosis and treatment of complex prenatal complications as well as routine gynecologic scanning right in our offices – with supervising physicians in attendance.

Our team of Maternal Fetal Medicine specialists are here to offer the most comprehensive, proven services to ensure your pregnancy and birth are safe and happen as close as possible to your unique plan and desires. A key part of a good pregnancy care plan is regular ultrasound services, as well as optional screenings for identifiers of genetic or developmental disorders.

Obstetrical Scans

First Trimester Down Syndrome Screening

This is an ultrasound examination performed between 11 and 14 week’s gestation. One of the markers for Down syndrome is a thickened nuchal fold which is the area of tissue at the back of the baby’s neck. Babies with increased fluid within the nuchal fold are at a statistically increased risk for having a chromosomal problem such as Down syndrome (trisomy 21), Edwards syndrome (trisomy 18) or Patau syndrome (trisomy 13). The presence or absence of the fetal nasal bone is also documented during this ultrasound scan because an absent nasal bone may be associated with an increased risk for chromosomal abnormalities.

These results are combined with your age and medical history and sometimes, a special blood test to determine if your pregnancy is at increased risk for certain chromosomal abnormalities such as Down syndrome. This ultrasound can also detect some (but not all) congenital abnormalities.

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Second Trimester Scans

Initial Anatomy: This ultrasound is most often performed between 14 and 16 weeks. Your baby’s anatomy is evaluated for possible birth defects with a highly specialized ultrasound scan. It is important to note that not all birth defects can be identified by ultrasound while you are pregnant.

Follow-Up Anatomy: This ultrasound is most often performed between 20 and 22 weeks. Your baby’s anatomy is evaluated for possible birth defects again, even though we have already performed the initial anatomy scan, because some features of your baby’s anatomy can be better visualized at this slightly later gestational age. Likewise, parts of the baby are still developing. It is important to note that all birth defects cannot be identified while you are pregnant.

Viability/Dating Scans

This is an ultrasound examination which is most often performed in the first trimester (prior to 14 weeks gestation). It generally determines the precise gestational age of the fetus, the location of the placenta and whether it is developing properly, and making sure the baby is growing within the uterus as opposed to a fallopian tube or the mother’s abdominal cavity. It also checks to make sure your ovaries are healthy. A first trimester viability/dating ultrasound is the best early test to establish your due date, and therefore is the first of many tests and checkups.

Growth Scans

A growth ultrasound is performed to determine an estimated weight for your baby and whether the baby is an appropriate size for its gestational age. This exam may be ordered if the doctor feels that your baby may be larger or smaller than expected or if you have a medical condition that might be associated with an either more or less than average size. It is important to note that that fetal weight calculated via ultrasound is an estimate and the actual birth weight may differ. However, with our ultrasound technology we are able to determine a fairly accurate profile of how your baby is growing and what specialized care or further tests we need to do to ensure your baby is growing as it should.

Biophysical Profiles (BPP)

This ultrasound examination is used to assess fetal wellbeing. Typically, this test is performed on women with an increased risk for problems that could lead to pregnancy loss, like hypertension, decreased fetal movement, diabetes, advance maternal age, and those with post-dates pregnancies. Movement, tone, breathing efforts, and amniotic fluid volume are measured, and a numerical score is calculated based on those variables. A score of 8-10 indicates your baby is healthy. Scores lower than 8 usually mean you need retesting. A persistent very low score may indicate your baby is in distress and might need to be delivered.

Cervical Length Studies

A cervical length ultrasound measures the length or your cervix. You made need this test if you are having symptoms of preterm labor such as contractions or pressure or if you have a previous history of preterm labor and/or preterm delivery.

Doppler Studies

Doppler studies are a special ultrasound of the maternal, placental, or fetal blood vessels. They are utilized to measure blood flow to the baby, uterus or placenta and determine if your pregnancy is at risk for problems or to determine the health of your baby in utero. These tests are only obtained if your pregnancy is at risk with conditions including less than adequate fetal growth, twins, previous miscarriages, Rh sensitization, hypertension, or diabetes.

Placental Check

Ultrasound may be used to identify the location of your placenta. Your doctor may order this test if you have a history of vaginal bleeding or if your placenta is implanted abnormally, either too near or over the cervix or embedded within the uterine wall. When it is, it can be labeled as either placenta previa, accreta, or percreta. Those conditions can cause heavy vaginal bleeding, require greater surveillance in pregnancy, and may necessitate a C-section delivery.

Multiple Gestation Imaging

For the most part, the ultrasound examinations for patients with twins, triplets, and high-order multiples are the same as for patients who are pregnant with one baby. Nonetheless, patients with multiples often undergo more ultrasounds due to the fact that they may need to be monitored for signs and symptoms of preterm labor and delivery as well as growth discordance among the fetuses.

Fetal Echo

This is a special ultrasound of the baby’s heart. This test may be needed if you have a family history of congenital heart defects, if a cardiac anomaly is detected at the time of anatomy scan, or if it is difficult to visualize all of the parts of the fetal heart at the time of routine anatomical screening. This is performed with more precise instrumentation and a more meticulous approach to ultrasound imaging to create a highly accurate picture of a developing baby’s heart. Furthermore, fetal echocardiography requires higher and very specialized sonographer certification. At Carnegie Imaging for Women, all sonographers who perform fetal echocardiograms are fully certified to do so by the American Institute for Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM).

3D Ultrasound

3D ultrasound may be utilized to better visualize certain anatomical parts of your baby. Likewise, it may be utilized if a birth defect is suspected. A 3D ultrasound creates a full three-dimensional image of a baby in utero and is performed with advanced technology and computing power to give your doctor a highly accurate picture of the baby’s anatomy. 3D scans can be very useful in visualizing certain fetal and maternal anomalies.

Gynecologic Scans

GYN Doppler Ultrasound

A GYN ultrasound is used to evaluate pelvic organs including the uterus, endometrium, and ovaries. Your doctor may order a gynecologic doppler scan if you have a history of ovarian cysts or uterine fibroids. Likewise, your doctor may order this test if you have a history of pelvic pain, vaginal bleeding, infertility, or miscarriage. Doppler ultrasound can also be utilized at the time of a gynecologic ultrasound if a cyst or polyp is noted.

3D GYN Ultrasound

3D GYN ultrasound may be performed if a uterine anomaly is suspected. Sometimes it is used to evaluate polyps and fibroids within the endometrial cavity or underlying structural abnormalities within the uterus. This screening creates a three-dimensional map of the endometrial cavity to assess the size and number of any such cysts or fibroids, or other abnormalities of the uterus.

Ultrasound Tests

Amniocentesis

Amniocentesis (also called amnio) is a common prenatal test used to diagnose certain birth defects and genetic conditions. A sample of the amniotic fluid is extracted, and the genetic structure of the fetal cells found in that fluid are assessed for genetic abnormalities. Genetic conditions are health conditions that are passed from parents to children and can sometimes be severe. There is a slightly increased risk of pregnancy loss associated with amniocentesis.

Chorionic Villous Sampling

Chorionic villus sampling (CVS) is a prenatal test. Like an amnio, it’s used to diagnose certain birth defects and genetic abnormalities in your baby. But one advantage of a CVS is that it can be done earlier in pregnancy than an amnio. During a CVS, a small sample of placental tissue is extracted and is tested for chromosomal abnormalities and other genetic problems that can affect the fetus. These genetic abnormalities can lead to serious health problems for a baby.

Multifetal Pregnancy Reduction

When multiple fetuses are detected during an ultrasound scan, there may be circumstances in which it is safer for the mother or other fetuses to reduce either one or more of them to make it more likely that the others will be born healthy. This is more common in pregnancies that are the result of various fertility treatments and is always performed in accordance with the parents’ wishes.

Hysterosonograms (SIS)

An SIS is a GYN ultrasound where a small amount of sterile saline is placed within your uterus to better evaluate the endometrial lining. Your doctor may order this test if you have a history of abnormal and/or irregular vaginal bleeding or if your doctor suspects that you might have polyps or fibroids within your endometrial cavity. SIS is sometimes obtained if a patient has a history of multiple miscarriages or infertility. It can also be used to help determine if your uterus is shaped normally (i.e. that you do not have a uterine malformation). The test can help your doctor assess the condition of your uterus as part of a pre-conception or post-delivery care routine and help predict uterine conditions that might affect future pregnancies if left either undiscovered or untreated. It can also be a useful examination for women transitioning through menopause.