Foetal Age Determiniation Test

A foetal age determination test is often carried out to estimate the gestational age, and in turn, the foetal age and this is often carried out by way of an ultrasound, during the first trimester or about 8 weeks into the pregnancy. If you are worried about your pregnancy, and feel the need to know about the due date as well as the health of the foetus, you can consult your doctor and get a foetal age determination test done at the earliest. There are several methods by which your obstetrician can check on your pregnancy from ultrasound exam, bimanual exam to serum HCG tests. However, one of the most commonly used methods to accurately predict the age of the foetus happens to be an ultrasound exam

Your doctor may suggest other methods including a bimanual exam before opting for the ultrasound exam or sonogram. The procedure is fairly simple and is often used by obstetricians all over the world to correctly estimate the age of the foetus and to determine the due date. You would be required to drink additional water, before the test so as to ensure that you have a full bladder before the commencement of the exam. You need to make sure that your bladder is full so as to enable the technician to have a clear picture of the foetus and your reproductive organs. With the ultrasound exam, your physician will be able to monitor the following – Confirm pregnancy, Monitor foetal development and heartbeat of the foetus, Examine reproductive organs, Check the status of the pregnancy, Check for ectopic pregnancies

The ultrasound exam or the sonogram has varied uses; it is widely used in the medical field to correctly diagnose several health conditions and to examine various organs. This option is often preferred by many as it offers doctors a non-invasive diagnostic tool to utilize and treat the patient accordingly.

You would be required to disrobe and to wear a gown, with a flap in the front so as to enable your obstetrician easy access to examine both your uterus as well as check on your foetus. A technician will usually apply a special gel to your abdomen and pelvic area, after which he would use a transducer which will capture images in black and white and rely them to the sonogram machine. The fuzzy image you often see on the sonogram is an actual picture, imaged from the interior of your abdomen and should clearly show the foetal development as well as enable your physician to determine the state of your pregnancy and due date.