Latest 3D and 4D scanning for observing in close detail

20 Week Anatomy + Anomaly Pregnancy Scan

The 20-week pregnancy scan is the most important prenatal screening test as it can both screen for abnormalities and, with detailed analysis from a specialist, offer diagnosis. For this reason it is called the Second Trimester Fetal Development Anomaly Scan. It can be carried out between 18 to 24 weeks of pregnancy.

 

The 20-week scan is used to:

check a baby's anatomy 
measure a baby's growth, including head and brain, body and limbs 
check a baby's organs and limbs for abnormalities 
check and measure the placenta and amniotic fluid 
identify a baby's gender
show images of a baby in 3D/4D

At the 20-week anatomy and anomaly scan you'll be able to see your baby's body, arms, legs, fingers, toes and facial features. Your ultrasound specialist will inspect your baby's anatomy and study the internal organs, and will talk you through the images on screen. If the genitals are not obscured and you wish to know, we can tell you the gender of your baby. After your appointment, we will send you a secure link where you can view and download a selection of images from your scan.

The majority of pregnancies are healthy, and this scan typically provides reassurance. In the unlikely event that any variations from normal development are detected, this helps parents and clinicians to plan care during the rest of pregnancy and make any special arrangement for birth and postnatal treatment.

You can have a 20-week pregnancy scan between 18 and 24 weeks into your pregnancy. You can calculate these dates from the first day of your last period.

Structural abnormalities that may be identified on the 20-week scan  The 20-week scan can detect structural defects including spinal defects, cleft lip/palate, significant clubfeet, body wall abnormalities, major urinary abnormalities, and major heart defects, and a variety of subtle markers that may indicate Down syndrome.

Very occasionally this 20-week scan can pick up abnormalities related to chromosome disorders that were missed in an earlier scan. This is becoming less common as the accuracy of tests increases, and with the introduction of Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing.

What to expect  You'll meet either our specialist prenatal sonographer or our doctor who specialises in prenatal diagnosis. The actual scan takes around 30 minutes and during this time you'll be able to see the 3D images of your baby on screen. Please allow one hour for your appointment so that you don’t feel rushed and can ask questions.

Your sonographer will check your baby's anatomy, including organs and the placenta, and will take detailed measurements in order to calculate your baby's growth. We will check these measurements against a set of fetal growth charts, which we use to predict your baby's development. We'll keep a record of these measurements so we can compare them with your earlier and subsequent scans.

You will receive your report by secure email and we will also email it to your Doctor.