Viability ultrasound scan

Early ultrasound on medical grounds

It can be quite exciting when you are just pregnant. Perhaps you are worried because you are losing some blood or because you have had a miscarriage before. Those concerns are quite understandable. Sometimes your midwife or gynecologist then refers you for a viability scan. During this ultrasound, we look specifically to see if your baby’s heart is beating. No referral for a viability ultrasound, but does it give you peace of mind to take a look at your unborn baby? Then you can also join us for a scan on request.

When do we perform the viability ultrasound?

When you are between the 7th and 10th week of your pregnancy. We usually do the viability ultrasound with an internal ultrasound (vaginal), because at this stage of your pregnancy the embryo is usually still too small to see through the abdomen. To get a good picture, we recommend that you come with an empty bladder.

What do we look at during the viability ultrasound?

During the viability ultrasound, we check the “viability” of your baby. We see if the heart is beating and go over a few other things. We watch:

• Whether the heart is beating
• Whether you might be pregnant with multiple births
• Whether the pregnancy is located neatly in the uterus 

If we see that the heart is beating nicely and the embryo is developing well, the risk of miscarriage drops from about 10% to about 1-3%. That, of course, is nice to know.

What about cost and reimbursement?

You don’t have to pay anything for the viability ultrasound. Because this is a medical ultrasound, your health insurance company will reimburse the cost from basic insurance. However, you do need a referral. The ultrasound takes about 15 minutes and is done in 2D. You will be given 2 black and white photos of your baby.

Need viability ultrasound in Amstelveen or Amsterdam?

Do you have a referral for a viability ultrasound and want to have it done in Amstelveen?  The referring midwife or gynecologist sends us the request for the examination in a secure system. You can call us for an appointment.