20 Week Anomaly Scan (18-22 weeks)
he purpose of this scan is to check the development of the baby and it is performed at approximately 20 weeks gestation. You will have time to ask questions and at the end of the scan you should feel reassured that a comprehensive non rushed experience.
We check the development of the following organs or movements on the anatomy scan: head, brain, face, spine, arms, hands, fingers, heart, lungs, bowels, kidneys, bladder, legs, feet, the fluid around the baby, the umbilical cord and position of the placenta. We can also determine the sex of your baby if you wish to know.
When you attend for this scan, we will assume that you wish to know about any problems or concerns that are detected by the scan. If any abnormalities are detected, the significance of the findings will be discussed and further counselling offered.
Most babies are healthy, but sadly, some have serious problems, which cannot be predicted by family history or the health of the mother. Over half of all serious congenital malformations can be detected by the 20 week scan. If the baby appears normal on scan, there is only a small chance that your baby will have a structural problem. However, some problems may not be present at 20 weeks, but develop later (e.g. diaphragmatic hernia, some cardiac defects). Our audit shows that we detect nearly 90% of all structural defects that are present in the baby. Thankfully most of these are minor.
We have a full Counselling Service should any problems be detected. We would also inform your hospital of our findings and provide them with a report and provide you with the opportunity to discuss things further with our fetal medicine specialist.
