Early Pregnancy Scan
The Early Pregnancy or Viability Scan is carried out early in pregnancy, generally from about 7 to 10 weeks. The main reasons to carry out this scan are to ensure that the pregnancy is developing inside the womb, that it is a viable pregnancy by demonstrating a normal heart rhythm and to check that the supporting structures for the pregnancy are healthy.
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Consultant-led
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Personalised care
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Evidence-based and modern
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Delivered by Fetal Medicine experts
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Calm, compassionate and holistic care
FAQs
The objectives of an early pregnancy scan are to ensure that:
- Pregnancy is intrauterine
- The measurements of the pregnancy sac (gestational sac) are consistent with age of the pregnancy
- There is a fetal pole
- There is a viable pregnancy with normal heartbeat
- Supporting structures appear normal
- There are no signs of threatened miscarriage
- The pregnancy is singleton or there are twins or a multiple pregnancy
An early pregnancy scan provides the much-needed reassurance and comfort to mothers following a positive pregnancy test that the pregnancy is healthy. Anyone can have an early scan, but it is particularly important in those with a history of previous ectopic pregnancy, miscarriage, pregnancy loss, those conceived following an in vitro fertilisation or those that have experienced bleeding earlier in the pregnancy.
The scan is carried out abdominally (transabdominal scan) and in most pregnancies, this is sufficient to visualise all the necessary structures in early pregnancy. However, in those pregnancies where adequate views are not obtained with an abdominal approach, an internal scan (transvaginal) will be required to complete the assessment.
For early pregnancy scans, a moderately full bladder can be helpful as it improves the quality of the abdominal scan and allows clearer visualisation of early pregnancy structures. You do not need an uncomfortably full bladder, and we do not want you to be in discomfort or pain. We will guide you during the appointment, and if necessary, you may be asked to empty your bladder if appropriate.
The chance of common genetic conditions can be assessed between 11-13 weeks’ gestation based on combined screening. The early pregnancy scan cannot estimate these risks. However, if the pregnancy is more than 10 weeks, you could choose to have Non-invasive testing (NIPT) which can be done at the same time of the scan.
Non-invasive prenatal testing (NIPT) for genetic conditions can be done in early pregnancy but only from 10 weeks onwards. As NIPT is dependent on the amount of baby’s DNA in mother’s blood, a critical level is reached only after 10 weeks. Undertaking this test prior to 10 weeks is associated with high rate of ‘No result available’ due to insufficient DNA. NIPT for baby’s gender can be done after 7 weeks.
