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Disclaimer

The information on this website is included in good faith, but its accuracy or completeness cannot be guaranteed. The contents of this website have been compiled with the greatest care, but experience has shown that information may be outdated or contain inaccuracies. No rights can therefore be derived from the information on the site. Het Echocentrum accepts no liability for any damages resulting directly or indirectly from, or related to, the use of the information made available on this website. Het Echocentrum reserves the right to make changes and corrections to this website without notice.

Please read this information completely before having an ultrasound.

At our center, you can go for diagnostic ultrasounds, screening ultrasounds and ultrasounds on request (elective ultrasounds without a medical indication)

Diagnostic ultrasounds

Your obstetrician/doctor determines which diagnostic ultrasounds are necessary in pregnancy. The health insurance company reimburses only those ultrasounds for which there is a medical indication.

Indications are:

  • Term determination to determine how far the pregnancy has progressed. Gestational age can be most reliably determined from 10 weeks. One determination ultrasound is covered by the health insurance company.
  • Diagnostic ultrasound to see why there is blood loss, until 12 weeks of Pregnancy.
  • Diagnostic ultrasound to look at baby’s growth
  • Diagnostic ultrasound to see where the placenta is located, at 32/34 weeks of Pregnancy.
  • Diagnostic ultrasound after 35 weeks of Pregnancy to see how the baby is lying.
For the above ultrasounds:

These ultrasounds do not look for any abnormalities in the child. If no abnormalities are seen during this examination, it does not guarantee a healthy child. If the ultrasound technicians do notice any peculiarities or abnormalities in your child, placenta and/or uterus with the above indications, these will always be reported to you and your obstetrician or physician. In addition to the ultrasounds requested by the obstetrician, you can choose whether to have an ETSEO (13-week ultrasound) early in pregnancy and the SEO structural ultrasound examination between 18 and 22 weeks. The ETSEO and structural ultrasound examination are screening ultrasounds. You will receive detailed information from your referring physician about both examinations.

ETSEO

This ultrasound is part of a scientific study. Therefore, you can opt for the 13-week ultrasound only if you participate in the Imitas study. For more information, please visit: https://www.pns.nl/13-wekenecho/wetenschappelijke-studie

The 13-week ultrasound is a medical examination for physical abnormalities in your child. The 13-week ultrasound is much like the 20-week ultrasound. In both tests, an ultrasound technician uses an ultrasound machine to see if your child has any physical abnormalities.

You can make an appointment at our ultrasound center for the 13-week ultrasound only after you have had a conversation with your midwife or gynecologist (counseling session).

Detailed information about the 13-week ultrasound can be found at: https://www.pns.nl/13-wekenecho/

SEO

The Structural Echoscopic Examination (SEO) or 20-week ultrasound

The SEO looks for evidence of structural abnormalities in your child. The SEO does not detect all abnormalities. For all ultrasounds, not all abnormalities are always visible. In addition, not all congenital abnormalities are already present during pregnancy. If no abnormalities are found, this is no guarantee of a healthy child. If something abnormal is seen during the SEO, the consequences for the child are not always clear. You will be referred to a specialized gynecologist. He or she can confirm the abnormality. However, this follow-up examination can also reveal that there is nothing wrong with your child, or that it is still unclear what exactly is going on and what impact this will have The SEO ultrasound is reimbursed by the health insurance company.

Quality of images

The quality of the images can be affected by such factors as the position of the baby in the abdomen, the position of the placenta and the amount of amniotic fluid around the baby. Another factor is the thickness of the abdominal wall. In women with a higher BMI (Body Mass Index), our experience is that the images are often more beautiful and assessable when taken a little later in pregnancy.

Early ultrasound

Early in pregnancy (before 10 weeks), the uterus is still small and is completely hidden behind the pubic bone, therefore, for a medical ultrasound, a narrow ultrasound probe is inserted vaginally to make the ultrasound. This is usually not perceived as painful. Imaging is significantly better than ultrasound through the abdominal wall. You can see the heart beating as early as 6 weeks at an ultrasound. Very early in pregnancy, the fetus is not yet easily recognized as a baby.

On-demand ultrasounds (pretechos)

You can have elective ultrasounds without a medical indication with us. These ultrasounds are not covered by health insurance. The purpose of this on-demand ultrasound is in no way medical-diagnostic. Therefore, there is no search for abnormalities in either mother or child. Therefore, one cannot hold Het Echocentrum or the individual ultrasound operators accountable in any way regarding subsequently revealed abnormalities.

If by chance the ultrasound technician sees or suspects an abnormality, he/she will inform you and your midwife or doctor. If you are aware of the existence of (suspected) abnormalities, please report this to the ultrasound technician before the ultrasound starts. Please be advised that this ultrasound does not involve any medical treatment, nor does it involve any medical advice or medical assessment.

The full medical responsibility for your pregnancy therefore remains with the attending obstetrician and/or doctor. This means that there is in no way a medical treatment agreement, as meant in article 7:446 BW. No statement made during or after the ultrasound consultation may be interpreted as a medical assessment. No guarantee is given on sex determinations. No rights can be derived from the issued assessment; therefore no liability is accepted in this respect. Image quality is determined by a number of factors over which we have no control. (See also the chapter “image quality”. We therefore give no guarantee of image quality.

Images

If you are given photos, in addition to the images of the ultrasound, these include other privacy-sensitive data. You are responsible for protecting this data from unwanted viewing by third parties.