Cases of babies with birth defects caused by congenital defects can be reduced if pregnant women routinely perform USG or ultrasound. By ultrasound, fetal development can be controlled so that if there is abnormality in the fetus, the medics can immediately take the necessary action.
Hospital obstetricians Premier Bintaro dr. Nurwansyah, Sp.OG said, ultrasound should be performed periodically. Routine and periodic ultrasound will give you the advantage that it can more quickly know if there are abnormalities in the fetus.
Despite the need routine and periodic ultrasound done during pregnancy, but there are still many who think doing an ultrasound too often will cause negative effects for the content. Instead, Nurwansyah said ultrasound waves generated from the safe because it does not have an effect of radiation. Ultrasound did not have a negative effect on the fetus.
"Ideally ultrasound done every month, but at least 4 times an ultrasound done during pregnancy," said Dr. Nurwansyah the seminar titled "Updates in Maternal - Fetal Medicine" in Tangerang, Saturday (04/06/2013).
Principles of ultrasound which uses high-frequency sound waves that can not be heard by the ear. Several international studies on ultrasound that showed no negative impact on pregnancy ultrasound examination. Meanwhile, according to the Indonesian Pediatric Association (IDAI), a new ultrasound negative consequences if it had been done as much as 400 times.
Nurwansyah ultrasound must be performed by, among others, in the first 2 weeks of pregnancy to ensure normal pregnancy is in the uterus. Furthermore, ultrasound is performed to determine abnormalities or congenital defects in baby, such as thickening of the skin of the neck. Ultrasound examination should ideally be done every month to follow the development of the fetus.
Nurwansyah explained, ultrasound has three tiers. Ultrasound is only a first level screening. Ultrasound screening can be performed by medical personnel, though not a physician, has received certification of origin, such as midwives. Ultrasound is able to determine both the level of health of the fetal organs such as the kidneys or heart. While ultrasound has been able to determine the level three until the abnormalities are more detailed.
"Ultrasound also has some kind of dimension. To detect early abnormalities of type 2D ultrasound should be used, while for 3D and 4D are used to see if the whole of defects found," said Nurwansyah.
Although effective ultrasound to detect abnormalities, according Nurwansyah, the most important is the "man behind the gun" or medical personnel who perform ultrasound examinations. "Because he was the one who diagnose if there is abnormality in the fetus. Then he also must be done to determine if further action," he concluded.