Expecting parents, especially those awaiting for their first-born become very excited not only for the delivery date but also for the gender of the baby. If in the olden times,predicting baby genderrevolved only around superstitions, technology can nowdetermine baby genderwith a higher percent of accuracy. One of the most common and modern ways inpredicting baby genderis through an ultrasound. What is an ultrasound? Who should get one? Is is safe to get an ultrasound? Below, we will share with you a few basic information about an ultrasound.

What is an ultrasound?

An ultrasound is a medical process used during pregnancy. It can help detect possible baby defects and baby gender. More than that, it can also accurately count and determine your due date as well as check your baby's growth and size. If your baby is positioned correctly,predicting baby genderby the 16th week is possible. An ultrasound uses sound waves which are above the range of human hearing. The waves then create images of organs within the mother's body. When the waves bounce back from the internal body structure back to the machine, the reflection of the waves is analyzed by the computer and is turned into photographs. In the aspect of predicting the sex of your baby, the ultrasound has been proven to be 95% accurate.

Who should get an ultrasound?

There remains controversy as about the value of a routine ultrasound among pregnant women. Studies have been made about this and while some researchers suggest a benefit of the ultrasound, others do not. This contradiction has resulted to conflicting recommendations from medical practitioners. IN Canada and Europe for instance, prenatal ultrasounds are routinely recommended to pregnant women. In the United States; however, there remains no official recommendation to perform routine ultrasounds among soon-to-be moms. To date, approximately between 45-70 percent of women have taken an ultrasound during their pregnancy. A lot of US doctors advise that all pregnant patients take at least one ultrasound exam, ideally  between their 18th and 20th week, during their pregnancy.

Is an ultrasound reliable?

It is said that the accuracy of an ultrasound depends on several factors: the type of equipment used, the mother's weight, fetal position, the skill of the operator, gestational age and the amniotic fluid volume. An ultrasound has proven to be accurate in diagnosing a wide range of fetal problems. Problems like spina bifida, enlarged kidneys as well as abdominal wall defects can be detected through an ultrasound. Nevertheless, a routine ultrasound does not guarantee detecting club foot and heart defects. An ultrasound exam can confirm any serious problem developing in your fetus. More than just that, it can also give you and your physician important information about your pregnancy and your unborn baby prior to delivery. These tests are proven to be safe and easy to perform.

True enough, an ultrasound does not only help youdetermine baby gender. It also helps you detect, prevent and prepare for problems which could have only been discovered during your delivery.