Fruit egg. Ultrasound, the ratio of the size of the fruiting egg and weeks

Early ultrasound during the initial periods of gestation has a lot of advantages. It does not harm the health of the expectant mother and child and provides a lot of information for the doctor.

The size of the fetal egg during pregnancy is one of the most important indicators, especially during the onset of gestation.

fertilized egg

Before moving on to the parameters of the baby and amniotic organs, it is worthwhile to figure out what is a fetal egg?

The formation of this new living organism begins from the moment the egg is fertilized by the sperm. It takes place inside a woman's fallopian tube. Further, the fertilized cell passes into the uterine cavity and already begins to divide into small cells.

Several cells that have approached the wall of the womb and begun implantation can already be called a gestational sac. It still does not have anything similar to the human body, but very soon this will change.

A week after fertilization, the cells are implanted in the wall of the uterus, after which it begins to exist at the expense of the mother's body. At this time, the embryo is still very small and cannot be seen on ultrasound.

After implantation, thanks to substances from the uterine wall that enter through the blood vessels, the new organism begins to grow rapidly. It can be determined by instrumental methods in a few weeks.

How is it determined?

You can see the size of the baby using a simple transabdominal ultrasound. The study is carried out as follows:

• After a woman is registered for pregnancy, the doctor determines the date of the first screening - usually 11-14 weeks.
• The woman is laid down on the couch, after which the procedure begins.
• The ultrasound sensor is placed on the belly of the expectant mother and all dimensions of the fetus are carefully evaluated.
• You can perform this study earlier, but it will be less informative.

At what size of the fetal egg is the embryo visible? Already at 3–4 weeks of gestation, modern sensors are able to assess the presence of a baby in the uterine cavity, at which time it reaches a size of about 3 mm.

A 5 mm embryo is already well defined on ultrasound, but it is still quite difficult to assess its internal structure.

Norm

Most often, the size of the embryo is of interest to women even before the time of the first screening. This is necessary to know in order to determine the fact of the pregnancy, its duration and the detection of developmental abnormalities.

During the procedure, the doctor evaluates the shape of all detected formations, the parameters of the internal contents of the fetal egg.

The size of the fetal egg by week of pregnancy, table:

As can be seen from the table, the size of the fetal egg increases quite quickly. It is evaluated only in the first trimester of pregnancy. Further, the doctor will determine more accurate parameters that reflect the state of the child's body.

Pathology

When conducting an ultrasound examination in early pregnancy, a fairly large number of various abnormalities can be detected. Among them are the following groups of disorders:

1. Changing the shape of the germ. At the beginning of pregnancy, the embryo is a spherical formation, therefore, on ultrasound it is determined in the form of a circle. After 7 weeks of pregnancy, the fetus acquires an oval shape. Tumors of the uterus, congenital malformations, infectious diseases, pathology of the placenta can cause a violation of the shape of the egg.
2. location pathology. A correctly developing embryo is located in the uterine cavity in the region of the bottom or posterior wall of the organ. Less commonly, the embryo is located in the area of ​​​​the internal pharynx. Other options for the location of the baby are considered pathological, some of them are generally incompatible with the further physiological course of gestation.
3. Anembryony. A rather rare malformation in which there is no embryo at all in the fetal egg. Due to genetic disorders and the influence of environmental factors, the amniotic organs develop, but the baby itself does not. In this case, the egg will be of normal size, but the child will not be determined inside it.
4. Dimensional changes are the most common deviation. At the first stage of pregnancy, it is quite difficult to draw a conclusion about the normal size of the embryo, but often already at this time it can be assumed what the decrease or increase in the fetus is due to.

Size pathology

What can be the reason for the change in the size of the fetal egg? Let's try to understand this issue.

If the size of the baby is less than the normal gestational age, you should think about the following reasons:

• The gestational age was incorrectly determined. Early ultrasound can help estimate gestational age using fetal size. If there are no adverse factors for the development of pregnancy, it is worth thinking that the clinical gestational age was set incorrectly.
• Infectious diseases - viral and bacterial factors in the early stages of gestation can seriously affect the development of the embryo. In this case, the fetal egg may slow down its growth or not increase at all.
• Genetic disorders - in response to the presence of genetic abnormalities in the fetus, the female body can stop the development of pregnancy, which will subsequently lead to a miscarriage.
• Exposure to environmental factors - chronic stress, lack of sleep, poor diet, bad habits. All these factors can slow down the growth and development of the baby, while the fetal egg will be less than the term.

An increase in the fetus is much less often determined in comparison with the age norm. It may also indicate an incorrect determination of the term of conception. In other cases, an increase in size may be a manifestation of congenital aberrations in the development of the skeleton and central nervous system, an infectious lesion of the fetus, as well as endocrine diseases of the mother.

Further tactics

If during the examination a violation of the size of the embryo or other indicators of the fetal egg is determined, one should not panic. This screening is only a preliminary examination.

Further actions of the doctor and mother:

1. Evaluate other parameters obtained during the survey.
2. Repeat ultrasound in a few weeks.
3. Eliminate the impact of adverse environmental factors, check for chronic infections.
4. If there are risk factors, start taking vitamin complexes and other drugs.
5. Pass all the tests of the first screening and undergo an examination by specialist doctors.
6. If indicated, perform invasive studies, such as amniocentesis.

Only after receiving all of the above results, it is possible to draw more accurate conclusions and decide on the possibility of prolonging the pregnancy.

If the doctor during an ultrasound scan found a fetal egg in the uterine cavity, then you can congratulate the woman on the onset of pregnancy. This formation in the uterine cavity is the very first and most important sign of the development of pregnancy.

The formation contains the embryo, as well as amniotic fluid. Depending on what shape, size and location the structure has, the doctor determines the nature of the course of pregnancy.

After learning about their pregnancy, many curious expectant mothers begin to ask the doctor questions about how and for how long a fetal egg is visible and how it looks. We will try to answer them.

The fetal egg, the diameter of which is very small in the first days of pregnancy, can be seen already two to three weeks after the delay in menstruation. The formed structure in most cases is located in the upper part of the uterine cavity, has a dark (gray) shade and a round or oval shape. The embryo at this time is still microscopic in size, so when it is not detected.

Development and structure

The growth of the fetal egg begins from the moment of conception. A fertilized egg begins to move through the fallopian tube, during which cell fragmentation occurs. Making its way to the uterus, a fertilized crushing egg needs nutrients and oxygen, so after a week, a chorion begins to form from above, which subsequently transforms into.

The surface of the chorion has villi that help the formation attach to the uterus. In the future, these villi are contained only at the site of implantation of the formation in the wall of the uterus. The rest of the structure loses the villi and remains smooth. Chorion provides the fetus with all vital functions, one of which is protection against infections.

A value less than 7 mm indicates the onset of the middle of the fifth week. This is one of the most important periods when there is an active formation of blood vessels, the heart and the nervous system. The size of the embryo is usually 2 mm.

When an ultrasound scan shows a 10 mm fetal egg, this indicates that the heart and blood vessels are already fully formed and the embryo has a neural tube with a slight thickening at the end (future brain).

6 obstetric week visualizes the value of 12 mm. At the 6th obstetric week, the fetal egg is 12 mm in size, has a spherical shape, the embryo looks like a white strip about 5-6 mm long. By this time, the heart rate is 110-130 per minute. If any deviation is detected during the sixth week, a re-examination after a week is recommended.

To correct the situation, doctors remove after which the egg takes the correct shape. What a fetal egg looks like during a miscarriage depends on the gestation period. For a period of 1-2 weeks, a miscarriage may look like a bloody discharge of menstruation. At a later date, the formation looks like a blood clot. If a miscarriage occurs for a period of 7-9 weeks, then a woman can find pieces of fetal tissue.

If the structure has an oval and at the same time flat shape, this can also indicate. However, in the absence of pain and other ailments, it makes sense to continue to monitor the pregnancy. Repeated examination will allow the doctor to make the correct conclusion.

Wrong location

A low fetal egg does not indicate a serious pathology, but requires more careful monitoring throughout the pregnancy. If the formation is very close to the cervix, then cervical pregnancy may occur, which is fraught with the removal of the uterus.

Empty fertilized egg

When you can find an empty fetal egg, when only a liquid or a blood clot is contained inside the cavity.

Types of ultrasound. What is SVD and KTR?

To determine the parameters of the fetal egg, various types of ultrasound are performed:

• Transabdominal - the examination takes place through the outer abdominal wall.
• Transvaginal - examination is carried out through the vagina.

With a TA examination, a clear identification of the formation is possible starting from the 5th obstetric week. At this time, the fetal egg has a size of 5-8 mm. Using the second research method, it is possible to determine the size of the fetal egg on the 3-6th day of the delay in menstruation, and this is 4-5 weeks of gestation.

The embryo is visualized starting from the 5th week of pregnancy with a TV examination, and with TA - from the 6th week in the form of a linear formation.

To assess the size and growth of the formation and the embryo, indicators such as:

• SVD - the average internal diameter of the fetal egg.
• KTP - coccygeal-parietal size of the embryo / fetus.

SVD shows the size of the fetal egg by week and is measured in millimeters. Since the indicator of the size of the fetal egg by weeks of pregnancy is constantly changing, the KTR indicator is more accurate for determining the reliable gestation period.

In this study, the error can be three days up or down. Basically, the study is carried out up to 12 weeks of gestation.

The size of the fetal egg helps to quickly determine how long the pregnancy is and how the fetus develops in the womb.

The first three months of development are the most important, because it is at this time that all the organs and systems of the unborn baby are actively laid. Accordingly, it is important to undergo a scheduled ultrasound on time, which helps to identify possible deviations and carry out the optimal correction of the current situation.

Useful video about ultrasound in early pregnancy

Answer

The concept of fetal ultrasound is somewhat limited by the term and does not carry a complete picture of the scope of the study. In addition to the fetal egg, doctors analyze a fairly large amount of information about the course of pregnancy.

As a rule, after confirming the fact of pregnancy with a household test and delaying menstruation, the expectant mother has an emotional outburst. After independent actions, mommy takes a trip to the gynecologist, which ends with a referral for an ultrasound scan and testing.

A fetal ultrasound is performed early to establish that the fertilized egg has attached itself in the right place, which is the uterine cavity, and nothing threatens its development.

Ultrasound diagnostics, carried out transvaginally, makes it possible to observe a fetal egg in the uterine cavity from the fifth week.

The fetal egg on ultrasound in the normal state is round or oval, having smooth walls, has a smooth contour. This structure is located in the uterus, namely in its bottom. Due to the decidual reaction, a smooth echogenic rim no more than 2 mm thick is formed around the fetal egg. A sign of a double decidual ring appears at a period of five to six weeks.

The internal contents of the ovum remain anechoic until a certain point, namely, before the yolk sac can be visualized. It is a specific formation located in the inner region of the fetal egg. Such an object can be detected at a period of about 5 weeks, provided that the MIA (mean internal diameter) is about 13 mm.

After the diameter of the yolk sac reaches 3-6 mm, during the examination it is possible to detect the actual embryo of the future baby! A truly magical sight is how the embryo joins the yolk sac through the Vitelian duct: this spectacle on the ultrasound machine resembles a ring on which a small diamond is planted.

The term embryo itself is used when the pregnancy is 5-10 weeks.

It is possible to detect an embryo starting from 5 weeks of pregnancy, subject to certain conditions:

• transvaginal examination
• fetal development proceeds normally
• the average internal diameter of the fetal egg should be 25 mm.

What does it mean if a fertilized egg is not found?

There may be several reasons for this. Perhaps the examination is too early (less than 5 weeks). In addition, if no fertilized egg is found, this may indicate a probable ectopic pregnancy. In this case, it is necessary to control the level of a special hormone secreted by the embryo - chorionic gonadotropin (hCG). If the fetal egg is not found anywhere, the doctor can make a special diagnosis - a pregnancy of unknown location.

What exactly is seen on a fetal ultrasound?

Often expectant mothers meet with the abbreviation SVD. This abbreviation stands for the average internal diameter. This indicator can take on different values ​​throughout the development of the fetus. KTP (coccygeal-parietal size) and SVD are assessed in the early stages of pregnancy using the Robinson and Fanning formulas.

At five and a half weeks, a gynecologist performing an ultrasound will show mom the beating fetal heart. It should be noted that the KTR (coccygeal-parietal size) of the future baby can be only no more than seven millimeters.

Fetal ultrasound should be performed during the 1st screening from 11 weeks to 13 weeks of six days.

The expectant mother must definitely go for an ultrasound examination if complications of pregnancy were found.

Is there any reason to undergo this procedure often?

Reasons for dynamic (regular) control fetal ultrasound:

• benign neoplasms;
• detachment of the fetal egg, associated or not with the chorionic platform;
• death of the embryo;
• cysts, formations of chorion or amnion;
• pathology of the chorion of the expectant mother: its exfoliation or underdevelopment;
• multiple pregnancy;
• insufficient development of the embryo;
• a clear discrepancy between the menstrual and obstetric terms of the course of pregnancy;
• Cystic formations in the uterus and ovaries;
• pathologically underdeveloped amniotic cavity;
• uterine pathologies such as, for example, bicornuity, bicorporeality;
• violation of the heart rhythm of the fetus (bradycardia and tachycardia).

What is assessed with a fetal ultrasound?

Anembryony

Quite often, doctors find that the yolk sac and the embryo are absent in the space of the fetal egg. This kind of pathology is called anembryony.

Given the fluctuations in ovulation in different women, the diagnosis of anembryony is made with caution. The accuracy of such a diagnosis is highly dependent on the class of equipment and the qualifications of the doctor conducting the study.

If anembryony is suspected, doctors should begin to observe the future mother in dynamics, conducting regular examinations.

KTR score

Another commonly used abbreviation is KTR. It stands for coccyx-parietal size. Diagnostic doctors must evaluate the increase in CTE without fail. The normal dynamics for this indicator is a daily increase of at least 0.7 millimeters.

amniotic cavity

Another important parameter when conducting an ultrasound examination is the visualization of the amniotic cavity. This cavity on the apparatus is a hypo- or anechoic cavity, the difference between the environments of which looks like a thin echogenic closed radial strip, which is slightly thinner than the wall of the yolk sac. In the case of a normal pregnancy, when visualizing this object, heartbeats in the embryo are always recorded!

An embryonic growth of less than 0.2 mm per day, the absence of one of the extraembryonic structures are a prognostically unfavorable factor. Patients with identified disorders are sent for a more thorough examination. After such examinations, they can be directed to perform an abortion.

Already from the ninth week of pregnancy, diagnosticians have the opportunity to detect the future placenta during the study - the chorion, which is a villous membrane that is located outside the fetal egg. It is this formation that turns a little later into the fruiting part of the future placenta.

On an ultrasound machine, the chorion looks like a highly echogenic formation. This formation has a semicircular structure, also having wavy contours, and is located along the outer edge of the fetal egg.

The shape and condition of the fetal egg

In some cases, the fetal egg may change its shape, but this will not be a sign of pathology, for example, it may occur due to an increase in uterine tone. It is worth noting that an oval-shaped fetal egg is probably evidence of a growing threat of spontaneous miscarriage if a hematoma is observed behind it, a history also usually has bloody discharge from the vagina and pain of a pulling nature in the lower abdomen.

Detachment of the ovum is visualized as follows: anechoic strip around the ovum.It may have a cavity completely free from additional echostructures, and may be with echogenic contents - a sign of hemorrhage or its long term. The length of the detachment and its connection with the chorionic platform will also be established.

The same picture is with detachment of the chorion, with the difference that the detachment zone is established and the presence of hematomas of the retrochorial zone. A hematoma is possible with blood getting between the membranes of the fetal egg. Treatment should definitely take place in the gynecological department of the hospital.

The outcome of the detachment can expect its complete disappearance, regression and involution of the hematoma and prolongation of pregnancy; options with complete detachment and loss of pregnancy up to 11 weeks are not frequent with the correct obstetric management of such pregnant women.

Low location of the chorion

Also, in the period up to 11 weeks, with placentation on the anterior wall of the uterus, one can often observe such a pathology as the low location of the chorion (future placenta). Critical is the complete presentation of the chorion, the ingrowth of its villi into the scar, which can be located on the anterior wall of the uterus. The following tactics are recommended: regular follow-up examinations and an extremely careful attitude towards pregnancy, which consists in the exclusion of physical exertion and sexual intercourse.

To accurately diagnose a pathology such as placenta previa, an ultrasound doctor will try to get the clearest picture of the area around the internal cervical os. Preparation for such an ultrasound examination will consist in a slight filling of the bladder.

Ultrasonography performed to evaluate uterine scar after caesarean section and other surgeries is controversial. It makes no sense to predict how the myometrium will behave, it is strictly individual. Therefore, the assessment of the viability of the scar is the prerogative of obstetricians who take birth.

However, it must be borne in mind that the attachment of the placenta to the postoperative scar is for delivery by Caesarean section.

“Implantation window”

Sometimes an early visit by a future mother to a prenatal diagnostics specialist ends in disappointment. There is a so-called "implantation window" when a woman has a delay in menstruation, while the fetal egg has not descended into the uterine cavity.

It is this period, when it is not known where the fetal egg is located, that delivers a lot of experiences.

A good option is a visually confirmed pregnancy (fertilized egg) in the uterine cavity.

Ectopic pregnancy

There is also a violation of the implantation of the fetal egg, for example, when it lingers on the way outside the uterine cavity, i.e. with an ectopic pregnancy.

In order to talk about an ectopic pregnancy, it is necessary to detect the heartbeat of the fetus outside the uterine cavity and the presence of a fetal egg.

Options for such incorrect implantation:

• embryo development in one of the fallopian tubes,
• right or left,
• at the point where the fallopian tube enters the uterine cavity
• in the uterine scar after a previous caesarean section,
• in the cervix,
• in the abdominal cavity
• in the ovaries.

In addition, diagnosing improper implantation and ectopic pregnancy is not an easy task, and even expert-level equipment does not guarantee proper reliability. As a rule, an ectopic pregnancy hides among the adhesions around the fallopian tube. An echo picture of an ectopic pregnancy of tubal localization is a cystic small inclusion, tubal-annular in the projection of the ampullar, isthmic and interstitial or fimbrial (rarely) sections of the right or left fallopian tube, with blood flow or an already visible embryonic heartbeat.

Treatment is carried out in a hospital, in foreign clinics it is possible to administer a special solution of Methotrexate, in Russia - surgical removal of an ectopic fetal egg, with the possibility of preserving the reproductive function of the affected section of the tube.

If an ectopic pregnancy is in the scar or cervix, it cannot be saved, an operation to remove it, an abortion, will be necessary.

There are cases of multiple pregnancies, when one fetal egg is in the uterine cavity, and the second is in the isthmus or scar on the uterus after surgical delivery (Caesarean section). Here, pregnancy is also not possible to save.

oligohydramnios

A decrease in the volume of amniotic fluid leads to a sequence of oligohydramnios. This pathology can serve as a reason for careful observation to exclude, first of all, anomalies of the fetal kidneys. In addition, impaired placentation can also cause oligohydramnios.

A small number of amniotic fluid can lead to lung hypoplasia and fetal compression. In turn, fetal compression may be the result of a violation of the position of the limbs and dislocations. Moreover, fetal compression can lead to pathological changes in the face, including flattening and low position of the auricles.

bubble skid

Bubble drift is another formidable complication that can occur in the early stages; is an abnormal growth of the outer layer of embryonic cells, tending to fill the entire uterine cavity. Traditionally, complete (transformations affect the entire area of ​​​​the fetal membrane) and partial (changes cover part of the membrane) are distinguished. Moreover, there is a more severe form of the disease - a destructive hydatidiform mole; in which an ultrasound scan reveals an exceptionally small cystic mixed echogenicity of the mesh structure in the uterus in the absence of a fetus.

Other pathologies

An early ultrasound examination will help to identify formidable defects that are incompatible with life in embryos. Perfect ultrasound equipment and the latest data processing technologies make it possible to see early organ formation disorders in the embryo. Leading companies such as GE, PHILIPS, HITACHI to help ultrasound doctors.

The diagnosis in this case is likely to be determined by the detection of the following factors:

• abnormal position of the limbs,
• stiffness of body movements with reduced or no response to acoustic stimulation at all,
• embryo growth retardation
• polyhydramnios or oligohydramnios.

Still, such alarming signals as swelling of the soft tissues of the head, chest deformities, gastroschisis, microcephaly, hypoplasia or aplasia of the extremities can be detected.

Modern medicine has gone far ahead, and the latest breakthrough, rapidly gaining popularity, is 3D ultrasound, which makes it possible to detect pathologies that were previously simply impossible to diagnose. However, on any device, a high-class diagnostician should conduct a study.