Difference in Scans

[kate891]

Hi,

I'm just wonderding what the difference in a normal scan and fetal medicine scan is?

After a miscarriage and a TMR for severe physical abnormalities last year I have been told I'll be having fetal medicine department scans at 12/16/20 weeks as well as the standard 12 and 20 week scans. Does anyone know the difference?

I'm thankful for the extra healthcare but it just seems a waste if they can tell the same thing but its just a difference consultant looking at the screen.

Any ideas?

Hi :)

First of all sorry about your loss

I'm afraid I don't have much advice regarding the scans, but I would guess as you said in your OP that actually maybe not all sonographers have the same degree of knowledge and so maybe a conultant will be simply more adept at using ultrasounds to help diagnose conditions? Along with the fact that extra scans will give more opportunities to pick up any problem :)

I am under fetal medicine because my first child has a chromosome disorder. I wandered the same thing but after going to both normal and fetal medicine, my experience is fetal medicine is much more detailed. One scan took 1 hour and the consultant checked everything a number of times. I feel a lot more relaxed knowing consultants that specialise in abnormalities have observed my baby. Hope all goes well for you xx

Thanks ladies,

The TMR was possibly a chromosomal disorder but even the post mortem didnt give us a clear diagnosis. Hopefully, like you say, it will be more detailed and give us an indication early as to whether there are problems. Still have about a month to wait - fingers crossed xx