Ultrasound scan offer
Rigshospitalet offers two scans during your pregnancy.
You can choose both scans or just one. Rigshospitalet offers information, personal guidance, and counseling for the pregnant woman and her partner. Both the information and the scans are an offer.
It is therefore entirely up to you to decide whether you want the scans. We hope that this brochure can provide answers to some of the questions you may have. You can also get information about the scans from your general practitioner.
Booking appointments for scans 1st-trimester scan
You can book an appointment for the 1st-trimester scan at www.minsundhedsplatform.dk or in the MinSP app.
2nd-trimester scan: You can book this after your 1st-trimester scan at our reception desk. If you only want the 2nd-trimester scan, you can book it by calling phone number 35 45 40 02, phone hours are all weekdays from 09:00 AM to 12:00 PM.
Please remember:
You are welcome to bring one adult, but no children.
That parking conditions at Rigshospitalet are unfortunately very limited.
As a general rule, filming is not permitted during the examination
What is ultrasound - and how does it work?
Ultrasound consists of sound waves that cannot be heard by the human ear. The scanning device amplifies and converts the sound echoes into images. The examination is performed by moving a scanner back and forth across your abdomen, and you can follow along on a screen.
Ultrasound is not harmful, neither to the fetus nor to you. Ultrasounds have been performed for approx. 50 years, and international committees have been established to monitor safety.
You will be scanned by a specially trained sonographer (midwife/nurse or doctor).
The ultrasound scan itself takes about 20-25 minutes, but you must also expect time for charting and giving you your results. Therefore, your total time spent will often be 45 minutes - 1 hour.
The examination requires no preparation. However, it is a good idea to empty your bladder before the examination. Sometimes it is not possible to complete the examination due to the position of the fetus. You will then be asked to return later in the day or another day.
Boy or girl?
Looking for the gender is not part of the examination. It can be difficult to determine the baby's gender, so we may not be able to tell you, but we will do so if you ask.
3-dimensional scan?
We only use 3D scans as a supplement to regular scans to investigate specific malformations.
1st-trimester scan with or without nuchal translucency scan and double test
Gestational week 11 - 13
If you are interested in the offer of a risk assessment for Down Syndrome, please read through this briefing to be well-informed about the possibilities and limitations of the nuchal translucency scan and the double test.
The nuchal translucency scan takes place when you are between 11 weeks + 3 days and 13 weeks + 6 days pregnant - calculated from the first day of your last menstrual period.
What is Down Syndrome?
Down Syndrome is the most common single cause of intellectual disability and is also associated with physical health problems, e.g., an increased risk of congenital heart defects. Down Syndrome is caused by an error in the genetic material, a so-called chromosomal abnormality. The risk of giving birth to a child with Down Syndrome increases with the mother's age.
Double test
The double test is based on a blood sample where two substances are analyzed, hence the name "double test." The two substances (PAPP-A and beta-HCG) are produced by the placenta. The concentration of these substances is often slightly different in pregnancies where the fetus has Down Syndrome.
You do not need to book an appointment to have the blood test taken. It is ordered automatically when you book your appointment for the 1st-trimester scan online.
You simply need to go to the Blood Collection Unit (Blodprøvetagningen), Section 5001 (the hallway between entrance 4 and 5) and present your health insurance card.
They are open all weekdays between 07:30 AM and 03:00 PM, though on Fridays 07:30 AM to 02:30 PM.
The double test must be taken from gestational week 10+2 and no later than 2 days before your scan appointment. The result of the double test will be ready when you arrive for the 1st-trimester scan, so you can get the combined result immediately.
How is the nuchal translucency scan performed?
During the 1st-trimester scan, the due date is first determined based on the size of the fetus, and it will be possible to establish if you are carrying more than one child. If you are further along than 14 weeks, we generally cannot use this examination method for risk assessment of Down Syndrome.
During the nuchal translucency scan, we first assess the size of the fetus and then measure the thickness of the nuchal translucency, which is a fluid accumulation under the skin of the neck. The larger the fetus's nuchal translucency, the greater the risk of Down Syndrome.
The 1st-trimester scan is not an examination for malformations. You will be offered a scanning for malformations later in the pregnancy - you can read about this scan later in this information.
The scan is performed on the abdomen, but it may be necessary to supplement with a transvaginal scan.
What can the double test and the nuchal translucency scan do?
Together, the results of the examinations provide an assessment of the risk of whether the fetus has Down Syndrome. When we combine the results of the double test (blood sample) and the nuchal translucency scan, we can find about 90% of the fetuses that have Down Syndrome.
In twin pregnancies, the nuchal translucency scan alone can in some cases be used to assess the risk of Down Syndrome, but we recommend that the double test be taken in all cases.
How do I get the result of the examination?
Immediately after the nuchal translucency scan, the total risk of Down Syndrome is calculated. This calculation includes your age, how far along you are in the pregnancy, previous pregnancies, the size of the nuchal translucency, as well as the double test. You will receive the result before you leave the department.
What does the result mean?
You will receive an explanation of the result from the doctor or sonographer who examined you. The result will show both the general risk for your age group and how the risk changes based on the outcome of your examinations. If the result indicates a risk of Down Syndrome greater than 1:300 (e.g., 1:100), we will offer you a chorionic villus sampling (CVS) or amniocentesis, where the chromosomes of the fetus are examined. This examination can determine with 100% certainty whether the fetus has Down Syndrome.
In rare cases, the scan shows an increased risk of other serious chromosomal abnormalities besides Down Syndrome, in which case you will be thoroughly informed and offered an amniocentesis or CVS. However, the vast majority of fetuses examined with CVS or amniocentesis are completely normal.
If the result of the CVS or amniocentesis is normal, but the nuchal translucency is larger than normal, you will be offered further counseling and examination of the fetus.
Further information and personal counseling can be obtained from prenatal guidance at phone number 35 45 40 02.
Screening for pre-eclampsia
You will be offered screening for preeclampsia at Rigshospitalet in connection with the 1st-trimester scan. The result of the screening is provided immediately after the scan. If you have an increased risk of developing pre-eclampsia, preventive treatment with low-dose aspirin (Hjertemagnyl) is offered.
Read more about screening for pre-eclampsia here: www.prepred.dk
2nd-trimester scan
Performed from 20-22 weeks
This is an offer for a thorough scan of the fetus for visible malformations.
What can be seen at the 2nd-trimester scan?
The sonographer performing the scan looks at the fetus's head, spine, chest, heart, stomach, arms, and legs. In addition, the size of the fetus is measured, and its movements, the amount of amniotic fluid, and the placenta's placement are examined.
If you have not been scanned earlier in your pregnancy, the sonographer can also determine the expected date of delivery based on the size of the fetus. Furthermore, she will be able to see if you are carrying more than one child, if this is not already known.
Can all malformations be detected?
Some malformations are seen quite clearly, while others are less clear. Therefore, we do not find everything – such as minor malformations in the heart.
Sometimes it may be necessary to ask a colleague to look in on the examination, as it can occasionally be difficult to interpret an image. It is therefore important that you do not think there is something wrong with the fetus if we call in a colleague.
What happens if something is abnormal?
If something abnormal is suspected in the fetus, you will be told immediately. If there is a suspicion of malformations, you will be offered thorough information by a specialist physician in the department and further examinations. Treatment options and any consequences will be explained thoroughly.
It can be an advantage to discover any malformation before birth, as in many cases you will have a better opportunity to give the child the right treatment immediately after birth.
In severe cases, it is possible to apply for an abortion up to gestational week 22.
It may happen that the scan reveals minor anatomical variants that in themselves have no significance, but which have proven to be associated with a slightly increased risk of chromosomal abnormalities. In these cases, you will be offered further information.
It is important to emphasize that the vast majority of fetuses are completely normal.
Can you get pictures of the fetus?
Yes, you can! If you want a picture of the fetus from the scan, you can easily get it directly on your phone. When the scan is finished, you simply tell the midwife, sonographer, or doctor performing the scan that you would like a picture. Then you can take a picture of the screen with your phone and take it home as a special memory, or share it with whomever you wish.
Where to find us
The Department of Pregnancies and Fetal Medicine is located in Entrance 4, Section 4002, Ground Floor.
Waiting time in our department
We do everything we can to keep to the scheduled appointments in the department, but we are unfortunately often delayed due to emergency patients, emergency fetal procedures, and patients with special needs.
Just to be safe, we therefore recommend that you set aside a couple of hours to be at the department in connection with your examination.
Questions for us
If you have any questions, you are welcome to call us at phone number 35 45 40 02. We are best reached on weekdays between 09:00 AM and 12:00 PM.
For your information
Rigshospitalet is a teaching hospital, which is why there will occasionally be multiple persons in training present during the examination. You are welcome to bring one adult person yourself.