When a fetal egg is visible on ultrasound: timing and features

2024 Author: Priscilla Miln | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-16 00:21

For various reasons, a woman may be interested in seeing a fetal egg on an ultrasound. Some want to make sure that there are no pathologies in the early stages of fetal development. Others are interested in whether the pregnancy is multiple. And the third need to find out about the presence of a fetal egg before going for an abortion.

How long does an ultrasound show a fetal egg

A fertilized egg enters the uterine cavity about a week after the fusion of the egg and sperm. And already in the fourth week, with the help of a powerful device, you can see the beginning of the development of the embryo with an ultrasound sensor. Usually the procedure at this time is carried out through the vagina.

Although the fetus cannot always be visualized at three weeks. Sometimes a specialist can see changes in the condition of the uterus, which are characteristic of the onset of pregnancy. In this case, a second ultrasound is prescribed after 14 days. At this time, the doctor can already determine whether the fetus has begun to develop correctly.

If the gestational age has reached 6-7 weeks, then an ultrasound is already performedin the classical way, that is, the sensor is driven along the lower abdomen. If the embryo is not marked at this time, then most likely it is attached outside the uterus, which means it will need to be found and removed before the egg harms the woman.

Based on this, it turns out that the fetal egg during pregnancy shows ultrasound at the 3-5th week from the moment of conception. Although before seven weeks, ultrasound is not very recommended. But after that you need it. To determine if the egg attached correctly (to exclude an ectopic pregnancy), how many embryos are available and to exclude a missed pregnancy, which has recently been common.

When no fertilized egg is found?

Sometimes the situation may be that a woman has a delay, has all the symptoms and the test showed the presence of pregnancy, but the fetus was not detected on ultrasound (for a short period). This may be due to the following reasons: a malfunction of the device, low qualification of the doctor, structural features of the uterus, or the period is still too short. Therefore, a second ultrasound is recommended after 10-14 days. If there are doubts about qualifications, it is better to contact another specialist.

What does a fetal egg look like on ultrasound during pregnancy? The fetal egg, and later the embryo, changes every week in size and development of organs. The early definition of pregnancy is considered to be the period of the first trimester, starting from the fourth week. What does the embryo look like on ultrasound by week? More on that later.

The first and most importantweek

If the pregnancy is planned, then it is necessary to especially protect the body: you need to give up alcohol, cigarettes, especially drugs; need to take strengthening vitamins; avoid stressful situations; strong physical activity is canceled. The first week is the egg ready for fertilization. Ultrasound of the fetal egg will not show.

Second week

This is the fertilization of an egg by a sperm cell, the beginning of the development of a fetal egg. At this time, the body begins to produce hormones for the successful course of pregnancy. The egg gradually moves into the uterine cavity. Still nothing on the ultrasound.

The third week is also important and dangerous

At this time, the ovum is attached. And this is considered the first week of the life of the embryo. If the endometrium (the place where the embryo is attached) is not normally developed, then a miscarriage will occur. At this time, a woman can take this for heavy menstruation. Here it is just a set of cells that carry information about the future baby. At this time, it is very difficult to see the egg.

Fourth week

You can only see an egg up to 7-9 mm in diameter. And a change in the walls of the uterus (they become thicker). There is a bookmark for the development of all organs of the unborn baby. At this time (if the egg is viewed on the monitor), it is already possible to confirm pregnancy.

Fifth week

This is the date when a gestational sac is seen on ultrasound. At this time, the woman already knows about the beginning of pregnancy, this is manifested by the absence of menstruation. Eggstretched and can already reach 10-14 mm in size. The heart and blood vessels begin to develop in the embryo, the nervous system is being laid down, and the face with the rudiments of the nose, ears and eyes is indicated. Here, if there are indications, the first ultrasound can already be prescribed. On the screen, the egg will be visible as a small dot.

Sixth week

The egg is already 20-23 mm in size, and you can hear the heartbeat. The embryo itself already reaches a length (from the coccyx to the back of the head) up to 5-6 mm. The placenta begins to form, which will play an important role until the baby is born. The embryo develops reproductive organs. From this period, the ovum is well visualized on the screen.

Seventh week

The size varies up to 24 mm, the future baby itself is a little more than one centimeter in size (from the coccyx to the crown of the head). On ultrasound, even the expectant mother can already see a tiny baby doll, with arms and legs. Doctors most often prescribe this study at this time, as this is the best period when a fetal egg is visible on ultrasound. Also, from this moment, various pathologies may begin to develop.

Eighth week

At this stage, the future baby passes from the state of the embryo to the fetus. There are already rudiments of all organs, their development has begun. The diameter of the egg is up to 3 cm, the fruit has a clearer outline. Too thin girls can already see a slight rounding of the abdomen.

Ninth week

The diameter of the egg reaches 32 mm in size, the torso and head are formed in the embryo. The baby at this time begins to completely depend onplacenta. Therefore, the mother should carefully monitor the intake of products. The kidneys of the fetus are already functioning, and even the first portion of urine is excreted.

Tenth week

The egg is already a little over 4 cm in diameter, the baby already looks like a person, although the head is still large. Organ development begins.

Eleventh week

The next important stage in development. At this time, it is possible to determine the pathology in the development of the baby for Down syndrome, at the twelfth week this will no longer be possible. The fetus at this time is active, moves its arms and legs, and already knows how to swallow. Mom does not feel any movement yet.

Twelfth week

The conclusion of the most important and dangerous period of fetal development. It is already possible to make a full assessment of the condition of the unborn baby and whether the important organs that develop at this time were formed correctly. At this stage, you can determine, up to a day, which week of pregnancy. An experienced specialist can already name the baby's gender.

When going through the procedure, it is advisable to choose a proven specialist with high-quality equipment. It is important at this stage not to overlook the beginning of the development of possible pathologies.

What anomalies can a doctor see?

We have already found out when a fetal egg is visible on ultrasound. Sometimes a woman needs to undergo a study at a short time. For example, there was a serious illness in the first days of pregnancy, there is a high risk of embryo freezing, in previous pregnancies there were abnormalities in the fetus.

Short term ultrasound allowsidentify the following deviations in the development of pregnancy:

• due to a slight detachment of the placenta or an increased tone of the uterus, the egg may be deformed. If treatment is started immediately, there is a high chance of a normal pregnancy outcome;
• Incorrect attachment of the fetal egg. If it attaches at the very bottom of the uterus, then the threat of miscarriage is great, the woman needs complete rest, sometimes bed rest is possible until the very birth;
• absence of an egg in the uterine cavity;
• mismatch in egg or embryo size;
• missed pregnancy. Occurs due to the fact that the shell of the egg did not allow the embryo to develop normally, in this case the egg is removed by scraping;
• the fetal egg has a tumor that puts pressure on the embryo and prevents it from developing;
• in rare cases, there may be no embryo in the fetal egg, this is noticeable after the seventh week of pregnancy;
• the amount of water is determined, since their excess or lack adversely affects the development of the fetus.

If one of the listed anomalies is found, this is not a mandatory indication for termination of pregnancy. Most often, a second ultrasound is prescribed after two weeks. When the diagnosis is confirmed, treatment or abortion is prescribed.

A fetal egg on an ultrasound scan at 12 weeks helps to accurately set the gestational age and expected date of birth, identify serious developmental abnormalities, and also find out how many embryos are in the uterine cavity.

Myths about ultrasound

Women are often afraid to go for an ultrasound due to prejudice andhorror stories told by friends and grandmothers, not thinking that the procedure allows you to identify dangerous deviations in time and the ability to bear a he althy baby.

It is believed that ultrasonic waves harm the baby. Unfortunately, there is no evidence or refutation of this statement. A danger to the fetus can be when ultrasound is done through the vagina for a short time, as this can provoke a miscarriage. And three mandatory procedures (at 12, 24 and 33 weeks) must be completed. They won't do much harm. It is important for the doctor to see what the fetal egg looks like on ultrasound to determine if there are any pathologies, and this is also necessary to set the exact date.

It is believed that the waves during the examination can change the DNA of the fetus. This claim has not found any evidence.

There are mothers who are simply not interested when a fetal egg appears on an ultrasound scan, since the procedure is considered unnatural by them. When a mother has such beliefs, she has the right to refuse the procedure, if pathologies in the development of the fetus are missed, then the entire responsibility falls on the shoulders of the mother.

There is a myth that ultrasound is a kind of experiment on people. And this is partially true, since with the help of the procedure it became known how the baby develops - from the stage of a fertilized egg to the embryo. But it has brought many benefits and allows you to identify even the slightest deviations at an early stage and save the life of the child and mother.

The procedure is carried out only with a writtenthe woman's consent is not mandatory. The doctor knows when a fetal egg can be seen on ultrasound, and prescribes the procedure for an approximate period if there is a possibility of developing a pathology or it is necessary to determine the exact gestational age.

Conclusion

Using ultrasound can save the life of a child if placental abruption is noticed in time and bed rest with medications is prescribed. Do not decide on your own when to do an ultrasound. Now there is an opportunity for a fee to undergo the procedure at least every day. But it is recommended to do this only on the recommendation of a doctor, and not every time the expectant mother is sick, or she does not like the sensations in her stomach. The doctor can also determine with the help of a primary examination whether there is a threat of miscarriage, or prescribe an ultrasound from a specialist.