Errors in gender determination are common. Ultrasound errors in determining the sex of the child

All pregnant mothers have a completely different attitude to such a procedure as an ultrasound scan. Some try to do ultrasound as little as possible, or avoid it in the early stages altogether; especially worried mothers are ready to go to the uzist's office almost every day, if only everything is fine with the child, some women are shown frequent ultrasound for health reasons.

But the overwhelming majority of women go to the procedure solely for one purpose - to decide what color to buy clothes and what paint to paint the nursery. The gender of the child is equally worried about both moms and dads, and grandmothers and grandfathers. And God forbid, the doctor will say that he is not sure! Interrogations begin from the first trimester. And doctors are trying very hard to satisfy the needs of future parents.

On the subsequent ultrasound, there are no fewer questions, rather the opposite. “Are you sure we have a girl?”, “Look more closely?”, “Maybe he turned sideways?” And what's that? Is that a leg? " etc. The sadness of the whole situation lies in the fact that not a single doctor, even the smartest and most qualified specialist, will be able to give you one hundred percent guarantee that his predictions will come true. So, future parents can only live with hope in their hearts.

The experts themselves say that the reliability of the information provided to you in the diagnosis is about 90 percent.

Causes of ultrasound errors in determining the sex of the child?

There are a number of reasons why a doctor might not be able to give you 100% certainty about your baby's gender. Let's see why.

1. The first ultrasound diagnostics is carried out at a very early stage, even in the first trimester. The formation of the genitals takes place until the end of the third trimester. It is difficult for a diagnostician to determine the sex during this period, because of the small size of your baby, it can be quite easy to make a mistake. Among other things, ultrasound in the early stages is done for completely different purposes - determining how the pregnancy proceeds, whether there is an ectopic pregnancy, whether there are inflammatory processes and other diseases.
2. In the later stages of pregnancy, the exact determination of sex is again hindered by the size. Only now they are much larger, the child should be compactly placed in the mother's stomach, so it can often cover its genitals.
3. The third reason can be safely called the human factor. When you come for an ultrasound scan, you do not require the entire track record of the doctor who accepts you. It often happens that an ultrasound scan gives a real chance of one hundred percent hit in determining the sex of the future baby, since this is an X-ray, and knowing how to handle the equipment, you can catch luck by the tail. But an inexperienced doctor can easily make mistakes. But old equipment can fail even an experienced specialist. So if you can't bear to decide on the gender of your unborn child, try to choose a qualified ultrasound specialist and a good diagnostic device.
4. There is such a thing as medical ethics. Sometimes gender can play an important role throughout the subsequent pregnancy. For example, in the presence of serious hereditary diseases in the male line, the family may decide to get rid of the child if it is a boy. But we are talking about a lot of errors on the ultrasound. So is it worth risking the life of a little man like that? The controversy continues to this day.

Ultrasound errors can often lead to psychological problems, such as severe postpartum depression. An expectant mother needs to prepare herself for a child of any gender, and understand that her love will not become less for a boy, even if she has dreamed of a girl all her life. The main thing is, in fact, that the baby is born healthy.

Video from what time can you determine the sex of the child

Ultrasound during pregnancy is performed more than once - starting from the early stages, when the presence of pregnancy is only being determined, and ending with the last trimester of pregnancy, when ultrasound is performed in order to see the position of the placenta, the degree of development and physical condition of the child and the location of the umbilical cord.

In most cases, ultrasound data can be considered reliable, but it is always necessary to allow a certain degree of error - any technique can fail, and the human factor has its own value. What is the possibility of an error in deciphering the results of an ultrasound scan during pregnancy?

The main causes of errors in decoding the results of ultrasound during pregnancy

Insufficient quality of equipment,

Inaccuracy of information about the timing of pregnancy,

Insufficient qualification of a doctor,

Untimely performed first ultrasound scan during pregnancy.

What are the causes of errors in decoding various kinds of ultrasound results during pregnancy?

Ultrasound results in determining pregnancy

Erroneous ultrasound results when determining pregnancy are not so rare as we would like. It may happen that the ultrasound reveals the absence of pregnancy - and you continue to lead your daily life, and then, only after 3 months, you still find out that you are in a position. Why does this happen?

Doctors can detect a false absence of pregnancy on an ultrasound scan if you came for an ultrasound scan too early. It is reliably known that it is possible to see pregnancy on an ultrasound scan only at about 5-7 weeks, and if you received negative ultrasound results earlier, this may be a mistake.

Ultrasound results can be negative in the actual presence of pregnancy and in the event that there is an inaccuracy in determining the timing of ovulation and conception. Then, on an ultrasound scan, pregnancy may become visible later.

Ultrasound results in determining the duration of pregnancy

The smallest number of errors in the definition occurs when the first ultrasound is performed in the early stages - 10-11 weeks. During this period, the gestational age can be determined with an accuracy of the day - which will also affect the ultrasound results. A big plus of accurately determining the duration of pregnancy is also that on repeated ultrasound, the doctor will be able to accurately determine the slightest deviation or delay in the development of the child.

Erroneous ultrasound results when determining the duration of pregnancy may be during the first ultrasound scan at a later date. In this regard, it is not worth delaying the first ultrasound scan, since only determining the exact date of the onset of pregnancy will allow timely identification of problems with the development of the baby, if they appear.

Ultrasound results when determining a frozen or ectopic pregnancy

Frozen pregnancy represents a pregnancy in which the fetus died and ceased to develop. Erroneous ultrasound results in determining a frozen pregnancy are especially frequent in the early stages - at 5-7 weeks. The reason for such an error may be an incorrect determination of the date of conception, in this case even a difference of 1-2 days can be decisive. The fact depends on the date of conception whether the baby's beating heart is visible on the ultrasound or not - and, as a result, whether the doctor decides that he is dealing with a frozen pregnancy or simply understands that he needs to wait a couple of days. But in this case, the doctor usually does not raise the issue of terminating the pregnancy, but suggests checking the results of the ultrasound scan after a week. And only if the repeated ultrasound result confirms that the pregnancy is not progressing, it can be argued that the pregnancy has frozen.

Ectopic pregnancy is a situation where the embryo develops outside the uterine cavity. In this case, regardless of the viability of the fetus, the embryo is removed without fail - after all, we are talking about the life of the mother!

Erroneous ultrasound results in an ectopic pregnancy usually take place in the early stages, when the ovum is already visible in the uterus, but it is not always possible to find out if there is an embryo in it. With an ectopic pregnancy, a so-called false fetal egg may be in the uterus - filled with fluid and not containing an embryo, and the embryo at this moment may develop somewhere in the fallopian tube. Erroneous results of ultrasound, not corrected in time, can lead to the most sad consequences. Therefore, in the early stages, it is recommended to do a transvaginal ultrasound in order to accurately determine an ectopic pregnancy.

Ultrasound results in determining the sex of the child

Probably, everyone has stories in their memory about how doctors told young parents about the birth that they would have a boy or a girl - and the gender of the newborn was guessed exactly the opposite! What determines the errors in the results of ultrasound during pregnancy when determining the sex of the child?

The reason for erroneous ultrasound results when determining the sex of the child is too late the study. In this case, too large a child may interfere with the display of the picture of the genitals on the screen. The child can change its location in the uterus, “shyly” covering “the most valuable thing” with a leg or a handle. The genitals can also be hidden by the umbilical cord loop.

The greatest possibility of error during the interpretation of the results of ultrasound during pregnancy can be traced in determining the male sex - parents are sure that they will have a boy, and a girl is born. And so girls appear on the streets in blue strollers and blue sliders.

The optimal time for an ultrasound to determine the sex of a child is 17-20 weeks - that is, a second ultrasound.

Ultrasound results in determining fetal pathology

The results of ultrasound are quite reliable, but, unfortunately, there are not isolated cases when the doctor determines the pathology on the ultrasound, and the mother refuses to terminate the pregnancy - and as a result, a healthy baby is born! The opposite cases are also frequent - when the ultrasound results are ideal, and complications appear during childbirth, or the child is not born very healthy. What are the reasons for this and how to protect yourself and your baby?

The main reasons for possible errors in the results of ultrasound during pregnancy: incompetence of the doctor and poor quality of equipment.

To protect yourself and your baby from the incompetence of the doctor who performed the ultrasound scan and imperfection of the equipment, at the slightest concern, consult with another doctor and conduct a second ultrasound scan in a different place and on a different device. Of course, multiple ultrasound scans do not have a positive effect on your baby, but if your life and the life of a baby are on the other side of the scale, you do not have to choose. Ultrasound results are very subjective, so one doctor can see the pathology, and the other can give an absolutely life-affirming conclusion.

Erroneous ultrasound results in determining the pathology of the fetus may appear as a result of certain anatomical features of a woman, which do not cause any concern in everyday life. For example, with a feature such as a bicornuate uterus, an ultrasound scan can show that the fetus is missing a limb. In fact, this limb simply hides in the place of the uterus, where it is folded into two layers - so it can go unnoticed.

In this regard, at the slightest suspicion of a mistake, it is necessary to carry out several ultrasounds and contact your doctor with a request to appoint you additional studies. Only in this case, erroneous ultrasound results will not be an undeniable authority for you!

Even after seeing the long-awaited two stripes, a woman begins to wonder whether she is expecting a boy or a girl. The expectant mother pays attention to her tastes, changes in appearance, dreams and other superstitions that allow interpreting the gender of the baby.

However, the most informative method is ultrasound diagnostics. And although the study does not give one hundred percent guarantee, an experienced specialist is more likely to tell a pregnant woman who will soon be with her.

How accurate is the ultrasound method for sex determination?

Ultrasound is the most reliable and safest way to determine the sex of a baby. However, its accuracy is 85-90%. Thus, there is a possibility of error. To minimize it, it is worth undergoing a study in the second trimester of pregnancy. Ideal from 23 to 25 weeks. But even during the second screening, the doctor is more likely to correctly determine the sex of the fetus.

To avoid mistakes, you should contact a good, professional specialist with extensive experience, as well as positive reviews. It is equally important if the study takes place in a private clinic using the latest equipment and modern 3D and 4D diagnostic technologies.

The main reasons why an ultrasound can be wrong:

The reasons for obtaining incorrect results when using ultrasound diagnostics may be as follows.

- short term of pregnancy

The first ultrasound scan is assigned to a pregnant woman in the period from 11 to 14 weeks. The purpose of the study is not to determine the sex, but to assess the correct formation of the baby's organs and systems, as well as to exclude the developmental defects.

If the woman is very insistent, the doctor can tell the sex of the child. However, it should be understood that the probability of a correct result is about 50%. The fact is that at the 11th obstetric week, the genitals of boys and girls look almost the same and represent the genital tubercles. At 13 weeks, the differences become more significant, which allows the doctor to draw a conclusion about gender. For this, the angle that creates the genital tubercle towards the back of the baby is estimated. If it turns out to be more than or equal to 30 degrees, then there will be a boy. If less than 30 degrees, then a girl will be born.

When determining the sex, the position of the baby, the amount of amniotic fluid, the thickness of the abdominal wall, etc. play a role. Therefore, conclusions on such a short timeframe are still unreliable, and many experts prefer not to even voice them.

- late date

The third ultrasound is performed from 30 to 34 weeks. It would seem that the baby has already formed, his genitals should be clearly visible, and it will not be difficult to determine the sex at this time. However, this is not true. By this period, the baby had already grown so much that it becomes more and more difficult for him to roll over, he is squeezed inside the uterine cavity. As a rule, he takes such a comfortable position for himself and so tightens his legs that the doctor cannot see his gender.

- ultrasound equipment

Any technique quickly becomes obsolete. This applies not only to modern devices, but also to ultrasound equipment. However, in practice, such a device serves for a long time. It can be used in public health facilities for over 20 years. However, when working with such a device, the doctor can make mistakes.

Although many medical institutions are equipped with modern technology, outdated copies are still preserved in district hospitals. There is no such problem in private clinics, but you can only use the services of its specialists for a fee.

- error of an ultrasound specialist

It is not the device that determines the gender, but the ultrasound doctor. The accuracy of the result may depend on his experience and professionalism. As a rule, young specialists are more likely to make mistakes. However, even a qualified doctor who sees patients all the time can be let down by fatigue, haste or inattention.

- multiple pregnancy

Gender is usually more difficult to determine if the pregnancy is multiple. This does not mean that a mistake will necessarily be made, but its likelihood is greater if there are two or more fetuses in the womb. This is due to the fact that babies are closely pressed against each other, their limbs and umbilical cords are intertwined, which greatly complicates the diagnosis. It is not always easy to understand where whose arms, legs, and especially the genitals are. If an ultrasound scan is carried out by an experienced specialist using modern equipment, then the probability of an error is small, nevertheless it is.

- features of the fetus

Another reason for possible inaccuracies in determining the sex of the fetus is associated with the baby himself. There are cases when girls have edema of the labia in utero, which is why the doctor may confuse them with the scrotum. You should not worry about this, this is not a pathology, and the edema will subside by itself.

A boy can take such a position and tighten his legs so that his genitals become invisible, and the doctor takes him for a girl. In addition, fingers, the umbilical cord can often be confused with the penis, and make the wrong conclusion.

How long should you be examined to find out exactly the gender?

It should be noted right away that ultrasound diagnostics cannot give a 100% result. It is possible to determine gender completely without errors only with the help of a chorionic biopsy or amniocentesis. However, these procedures are never prescribed to determine the sex of the baby, since they can cause infection of the fetus, as well as the threat of termination of pregnancy.

Starting from 15-16 weeks of pregnancy, you can fairly accurately assume whether it will be a boy or a girl. At the second screening, the doctor is more likely to tell you the sex of the baby. If the baby is well positioned, then you can make out the boy's penis and scrotum and the girl's labia. Errors by week 20 are almost impossible.

Experts believe that the most suitable time for sex determination is 23-25 ​​weeks. At this time, the genitals are clearly distinguishable, and the baby is not yet as large as at the end of pregnancy. He has room to straighten up and open to the sensor.

As the term increases, the reliability decreases. The baby becomes larger, he squeezes the legs, the umbilical cord is often located between them, which makes it even more difficult to determine the sex. If the child is in breech presentation, then it is even more difficult to see his genitals.

Scheduled visits to ultrasound

The procedure and timing of the ultrasound scan are approved by the Order of the Ministry of Health of the Russian Federation No. 572n dated 01.11.2012. According to him, they are as follows:

1. The term is 11-14 weeks. An ultrasound scan is part of the first screening. In the first trimester, the doctor excludes possible pathologies of the baby's development, determines the place of attachment of the ovum, fetal heartbeat, the state of the woman's pelvic organs, and also identifies possible threats of pregnancy.
2. The term is 18-21 weeks. At this time, a second screening is carried out. During an ultrasound scan in the second trimester, the doctor determines the presentation of the fetus, its age-appropriateness, proportionality, as well as the structure of the skull and the development of internal organs. In addition, the doctor evaluates the structure and location of the placenta, the volume of amniotic fluid, the condition of the uterus and appendages, and the location of the umbilical cord. At this time, the ultrasound diagnostician can tell the gender of the baby with a probability of 90% if he is in a comfortable position, does not hide behind pens and does not play with the umbilical cord.
3. The term is 30-34 weeks. On the third ultrasound, fetal presentation is determined, its size is estimated depending on the period, the cardiovascular system is studied, malformations are clarified, the state of the placenta is determined. Thanks to the Doppler, you can find out the quality of blood flow, as well as the presence or absence of hypoxia or entanglement in the baby.

If the pregnancy is uncomplicated, then three ultrasounds are enough. However, the list of indications for unscheduled diagnostics is wide, so a woman can visit an ultrasound doctor much more often. In addition, a referral is not required for a paid procedure, and many pregnant women resort to testing many times to make sure their baby is well-being.

Finally

The accuracy of sex determination depends on many factors. This is a small or long period of pregnancy, equipment, doctor's competence, especially pregnancy, as well as the baby itself. Therefore, this method does not give a 100% guarantee. The most reliable result is achieved in the second trimester, when the accuracy approaches 90%.

Do not worry if the doctor doubts the result due to the fact that the baby turns away or closes. Perhaps the next ultrasound will be able to better see the floor. Even if such an opportunity does not arise again, the main thing is for the baby to feel that his mother loves him, regardless of his gender. As soon as he is born, no one in the world will be dearer than him!

Especially for- Elena Kichak