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Prenatal
Peek®
Frequently Asked Questions and Information
about 3D Ultrasound and 4D Ultrasound!
 Prenatal
Peek® Uniqueness
What
is Four-dimensional (4D) ultrasound?
What
is the Optimal Time for a Prenatal
Peek®?
Parent
and Physician Understanding
Will
you provide measurements of the baby or
establish a due date?
Who
Conducts the Ultrasound Sessions?
Do
I need a note from my doctor?
Gender
Determination
Will
I be able to leave with package materials
I purchased?
What
if I am not satisfied with my images?
Should
I make an appointment in advance?
Is
ultrasound safe?
Prenatal
Peek® Uniqueness
We strive to create a personalized unique and awesome ultrasound
session. Prenatal Peek® understands that this is a special moment for
mom and dad as well as your guest. Prenatal Peek® sonographers have a
special talent in creating a warm, educational, fun and exciting
environment. Prenatal Peek® believes once you see your baby in 3D this
will be a realization for some new parents and that you will become
more aware of healthy pregnancy habits.
What
is Four-dimensional (4D)
ultrasound?
“4D” is shorthand for four-dimensional –
the fourth
dimension being time. As far as ultrasound is concerned, 4D is the
latest ultrasound technology. 4D takes three-dimensional ultrasound
images and adds the element of time to the process. This allows you to
see your unborn baby in amazing real time detail.
What
is the Optimal Time for a Prenatal
Peek®?
This depends on how you would like to see your baby. Before 24 weeks,
babies have a more skeletal appearance with 4D, but you are able to see
more of the baby at once. From 28-36 weeks, babies are developing the
fat layer that fills in their features so you will see more facial
detail at this time. At Prenatal Peek® we think the best time
to
visit us is between 26-34 week into your pregnancy. 4D imaging depends
upon the baby’s position, size, and movement, maternal tissue
and
amount of amniotic fluid, so we cannot guarantee image quality due to
those factors. For Twins, the best time is before 28 weeks of pregnancy.
Parent
and Physician Understanding
Prenatal Peek® informs both parents and their doctors, that
services
offered are NOT conducted for diagnostic purposes. Prenatal
Peek®
provides forms for parents and physicians/midwives for signing. Thus,
providing clear written statements of the services offered at Prenatal
Peek®. Potential clients are encouraged to consult their doctors about
the procedure and its assumed risks.
Will
you provide measurements of the
baby or establish a due date?
NO. We are an optional service and do not replace any element of your
prenatal care. You must be under the care of a physician to use our
service, and we urge you to consult your health care provider if you
have any concerns about your pregnancy.
Who
Conducts the Ultrasound Sessions?
Prenatal Peek® employs only registered and qualified
sonographers. This
is an important factor when deciding to choose an imaging center.
Untrained and unqualified sonographers can take 2-3 times as long as a
registered and qualified sonographer to obtain images of your baby. As
a rule of thumb, a highly trained sonographer will be able to capture
your baby’s image in the first 2-5 minutes.
Do I
need a note from my doctor?
Prenatal Peek® requires all potential clients must be under the
active
care of a physician or midwife and that the provider is aware of your
elective ultrasound session and conformation is made.
Gender
Determination
All sonographers are trained in determining gender and will give you
there best opinion. All packages include gender determination; the
sonographer will inform you of the baby’s gender, if you
like.
Please be aware sometimes the baby may not be in a position to make a
gender determination.
Will
I be able to leave with package
materials I purchased?
Absolutely, we will supply you with a DVD or Video of the session
recorded to music, all the images and video clips are stored onto a CD
so that you may print copies or email to other family or friends. You
will also receive color and black/white photos and a keepsake folder to
cherish for a lifetime. Additional copies of media and pictures can be
purchased.
What
if I am not satisfied with my
images?
We make no guarantees that images will be similar to those you might
have seen elsewhere or even from our imaging center. Every baby scans
differently, depending on its gestational age, position, amount of
fluid, and mother's condition.
Should
I make an appointment in
advance?
Yes, Ultrasound Appointments should be made as soon as
possible!
Weekends and evenings are the most popular appointment times.
Operational Days and Hours differ according to location so please call
or visit the location page for site-specific information.
Is
ultrasound safe?
Yes, Ultrasound has been used safely in obstetrics for over 35 years.
In the 35 years of use in medicine, there has never been a harmful
effect shown by the use of ultrasound. Many women have multiple
ultrasounds during their pregnancy with no negative effect on the baby.
Women who are having trouble with pregnancy may have as many as two or
three ultrasounds per week late in the third trimester.
Multiple
Pregnancy Ultrasounds Safe for Child
(www.WebMD.com)
Prenatal Peek®
has a business
practice of Licensing the Prenatal Peek® Trademark out to
physicians, qualified sonographers or business entrepreneur that agree
by contract to only have qualified sonographers perform ultrasound
scans. In historical archives more data represents the safeness of
ultrasound while being performed by a qualified professional.
The International
Society for Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology
(ISUOG), in 2002, stated: “Acoustic outputs are [generally] not high
enough to produce deleterious effects. Their use therefore appears to
be safe, for all stages of pregnancy.” (Abramowicz, et al. 105)
The American
Pregnancy Association,
“a national health organization committed to resolving reproduction,
pregnancy and sexual health concerns through education, research,
advocacy, and community awareness,” states the following: “[The]
ultrasound is a non-invasive exam which poses no risks to the mother or
developing fetus.” (Americanpregnancy.org)
Presently, ultrasound is as safe as ever, despite
the
false impression that 3-D/4-D technology poses greater risks than
traditional 2-D. While conventional 2-D imaging requires a precise
plane with which to observe the unborn baby, new techniques allow
practitioners to freely rotate 3-D images of the scanned fetus within a
stored volume. (Contemporary
OB/GYN 4) Utilizing 3-D technology diminishes net exposure
since volumetric images are rendered quickly and adjusted off-line.
Actually, 3-D/4-D “entertainment” scans that are
performed by experienced, certified technicians often result in less
exposure than those for diagnostic purposes. Volume acquisition,
multiple 2-D images converted by computer into a detailed 3-D picture,
occurs in seconds. Since the technician can manipulate images off-line
(probe not in contact with skin) with no time limitations,
“three-dimensional sonography reduces tremendously the time of exposure
of [fetus] to the ultrasound beam.” (Kurjak 1)
“Entertainment” scans require higher intensity
levels,
and subject women and their unborn children to longer exposure time,
especially when the technician is poorly trained or using improperly
maintained equipment.
Kurjak, Asim. “3-D Ultrasound and Perinatal
Medicine.” Journal
of Perinatal Medicine 30 (2002): 5-8. Online.
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