Why & what is Doppler Scan?

A doppler ultrasound is a noninvasive test that is used to measure the blood flow through the umbilical cord and to the different parts of the baby’s body like his brain and heart. The test shows if he is getting all the oxygen and nutrients he needs via the placenta.

Regular ultrasounds use sound waves to produce images, but they can’t show blood flow.

Doppler gives doctors an idea about visual or audible representation of blood movement through veins, arteries and blood vessels with sound waves.

It is conducted through handheld device called transducer. There are three main types of Doppler Ultrasound: continuous, duplex and color.

Continuous Doppler Ultrasound

It is also known as Bedside ultrasound. Doctor uses small, portable unit to listen the reflected sounds. The sound waves are audible diagnostic tool as blocked blood vessels make a certain sound as do narrowed and open blood vessels. It is used for a quick diagnosis of potential restrictions in blood flow.

Duplex Doppler Ultrasound

Along with the sound waves, it produces a visual picture. The dynamism of sound waves make blood vessels to create an image. The sounds are also used to convert the graphs using a computer program to evaluate the direction of blood flow and the speed at which blood is moving.

Color Doppler Ultrasound

It is similar to duplex doppler ultrasound. Here instead of sound being converted into a graph, a color picture of blood flow speed and movement is created from the sounds.

Power doppler ultrasound:

Power doppler comes under color doppler ultrasound. It penetrate organs to look close at what’s going on with blood flow inside the organ. The final image includes a color overlay showing blood speed and direction.

The expecting parents go for scans as they think its their only way to see their little one before the delivery. But for doctors , these scans can determine a lot of things regarding health of baby and mother.

How does doppler test work?

Doppler test during pregnancy is just like normal scan. Sonographer rubs gel over tummy and moves hand held device called transducer probe over the skin.

The ultrasound machine emits high frequency sound waves to the body through this transducer probe. Waves travel to varying lengths inside the body and get reflected back. The reflecting waves are caught by the probe and it is sent back to the machine.

Machine computes data and converts it into a relay of what exactly is happening inside womb. It can also convert that video into an image.

Image looks the same one that more like baby’s first photo.•

These scans are extremely necessary to determine that baby is at the best of health and is not having any problems related to blood flow. (Writer is CEO & Founder of 3Hcare)