Why are pictures are not always perfect?

All our staff will do their best to get great pictures for you on the day. No matter which scan you choose,
please be prepared to be with us for a while as some babies take longer before they will move into a
good position for pictures. Most appointments take about 45-60 mins.
Why are pictures are not always perfect?
Immovable objects - Umbilical cord, hands and feet are all objects that may be in the way when we
attempt to obtain a picture of your baby. There is nothing we can do to control this.
Placenta - If your baby's face is behind your placenta, we will need to scan through it. This can
cause the image to lack clarity/be 'fuzzy'. This is because ultrasound scanners map the face less
well through your placenta.
We will obtain images of your baby and these may well be the best available even if we attempt
your scan again at a later date. If no image has been obtained, we will offer you a free re-scan. If
you are unhappy with your scan and we do not offer a free re-scan, you can request a free re-scan if
you inform us prior to leaving your scan appointment.
WHAT IS THE BEST TIME TO HAVE A 4D SCAN?
The answer to this is a bit like "how long is a piece of string" as lots of factors have to come together to make a perfect 4D scan. The
following explains the different factors and what you can do to influence these factors.
Position of Baby - Because the ultrasound needs to "map" the face to make the picture we need the baby to be facing up towards the
top of the tummy, or at least with its head tilted upwards as the sound waves come down from the top. If it is looking directly up towards
the sound waves the computer will reconstruct the full face. If it is looking to the side we will see the babies profile. If the head is tilted
downwards we will get pictures of the back of the head. If the head is tilted too far back we will get pictures of the babies chin. Ideally we
want to see (in 2D) the babies profile, with the chin slightly tilted in towards the chest then we will get nice 4D pictures.
What can you do to influence the position? Have something sugary about an hour before your scan, arrive early for your scan and go
for a brisk walk (especially if you have travelled some distance). This can help make sure the baby is awake, if the baby is awake and
moving you are more likely to get good pictures during your scan.
Immovable Obstructions - Placenta - We need a gap around the babies face so the sound waves can map the face. If the baby has its
face against the placenta we will get fuzzy pictures as the sound waves cannot get clear measurements around the face. The placenta
fixes to the womb wall, sometimes it fixes at the front (anterior placenta) sometimes it fixes to the back (posterior placenta). If the placenta
is anterior it will always affect the quality of the pictures. It does this in two ways, one the sound waves are weakened by having to pass
through the placenta and back again so the picture will not be as sharp and two the placenta will always be in the picture as it is lying in
front of the babies face. However, the extent in which it effects the pictures varies, as some people have a placenta that is long and thin,
so doesn't impede on the pictures too greatly whereas others have a placenta that is shorter and thicker and lies right against the babies
face which seriously impedes the pictures, so we just get fuzz. If your placenta is low lying the chances are it still will be at your 4D scan.
We do not look to see if the placenta is low lying as your medical provider will see you again at around 34 weeks to check the movement
of your low lying placenta.
Umbilical Cord - Some of the cord will nearly always lie in front of the babies face, we can go through the cord to the babies face behind
but lumps can appear on the face caused by the close proximity of the cord to the face. If the cord is massed in front of the face then it is
very difficult for us to get a good picture, as going through all the cord diminishes the sound signal, so we get fuzzy pictures.
What can be done? Very little when it comes to the cord, sometimes lying to one side might help but usually it takes a big movement
from the baby to move the cord away from the face, something like a big stretch (by the baby) will work.
Movable Obstructions - Some babies like to cover their faces with their hands or feet or both! Generally during the course of the scan
the baby will move its arms or legs but sometimes they won't! It is unusual for a baby to keep its face covered but some do.
What can be done? Sometimes if you give the baby a little nudge/poke it will start to interact with you and move its hands away from its
face. Usually babies cover their faces when they are asleep so book your scan for when it is most active as this can help.
Size of the mum to be - This can vary from person to person but generally if you are a lady who has a high BMI your scan might not be
as sharp as others. Basically the more layers the sound has to pass through the weaker it becomes, so the picture quality is not as sharp.
We have seen some very good scans with larger ladies as there was a lot of fluid around the face and the extra layers are less dense,
whereas ladies who really are obese will get a very poor result as the layers seem to be more dense so effect the quality of the picture
drastically.
What can you do to get better results? If you pull your tummy up during the scan the results can be better as the layer over the baby is
then thinner.
If you have a very small bump then it can also be difficult to get really good pictures, as there might not be enough fluid around the babies
face, this is especially true if you have an anterior placenta and are very small as the baby tends to lie right against the placenta.
What can you do to get better results? If you drink a lot of water in the two weeks before the scan then you might have more fluid
around the baby at the time of the scan.
Therefore in order for us to get great pictures on the day we need the baby to be in the correct position with nothing in front of its face
except clear amniotic fluid, so in a way it is down to luck on the day as to whether your baby is in a good position :)