KPJ Healthcare Berhad

Oh look, it’s our baby

Ultrasound technology allows mother and child to bond better, even before birth, writes Rozana Sani

THE baby on the screen of the 3D television turns around and gives a smile. Mother of three Nozie Laila Nahrawi, who has 3D glasses on, gives out a gasp of delight as the baby seems to stretch one of her ams and reach out to her.
“She looks just like her big sister!” Nozie exclaims to obstetrics and gynaecology (O&G) senior consultant Dr Sharifah Halimah Jaafar, who is sitting next to her.
“I’ll put that on a CD so that you can share the video with your two other daughters and their grandparents,” says Dr Sharifah Halimah.
Earlier that morning, Nozie, her husband and her youngest daughter had driven all the way from Shah Alam to Ipoh for her appointment with Dr Sharifah Halimah at her clinic in KPJ Ipoh Specialist Centre. Nervous about her husband’s impending transfer to Ipoh next month, Nozie insisted on finding an O&G doctor before the move as her latest bundle of joy is due very soon. She wants to make sure that both she and the baby would be in safe hands when the time comes.
Though Nozie had never met Dr Sharifah, she had heard of her on Facebook. On her Facebook page Dr Sharifah’s Clinic (www.facebook.com/DrSharifahClinic), Dr Sharifah had shared ultrasound scan images of a patient’s baby.
Unlike the traditional black and white image that Nozie was accustomed to seeing during her ultrasound scans with her previous doctor, the image of the baby here was more realistic and that caught Nozie’s attention.

REALISTIC VIEW
It turned out that Dr Sharifah is one of the first O&G consultants in the country using Samsung UGEO WS80, a system that features 5D imaging, automatic measurement of the foetal myocardial performance index (MPI) and Advanced Feto Realistic View (FRV), which allows for detailed visualisation of subtle anatomical features, thereby enabling intuitive diagnosis on the scanned 3D images and enriching patient communication.
Ultrasound scanning of the foetus involves sending sound waves through the body, which are then reflected back and converted into an image that is visible on a screen. It’s a normal procedure in the care of women during pregnancy, says Dr Sharifah.
Today, it has evolved to a sophisticated stage where expectant mothers can catch a glimpse of their babies like never before.
“2D is black and white image and real time. 3D is static image in reader mode, while 4D is moving 3D image in reader mode and real time. 5D is 3D image mixed with the other 5D functions such as 5D LB(long bone), 5D NT(nuchal translucency) with FRV. 5D Cine is a function that delivers 3D cine image using a 3D monitor with the 3D glasses,” Dr Sharifah explains.
5D LB allows for easy, automatic detection and measurement of foetal long bones from volume data, with intuitive visualisation of the foetal structures. Diagnosis of foetal malformation becomes efficient as 5D LB improves measurement accuracy while reducing exam time. Meanwhile, the first trimester foetal nuchal translucency (NT) measurements are made easier the 5D NT FRV function.

DIFFERENT STAGES
Dr Sharifah says ultrasound is used for different reasons at different stages of pregnancy. In the first stage, usually before 14 weeks, ultrasound scanning is used to check whether the foetus is alive and by measuring the length of the foetus, to accurately determine when the baby will be due. Some major abnormalities can also be detected at this stage.
From 18 weeks, it is possible to examine the foetus in greater detail to ensure that it is developing normally. The spine, skull, brain, heart, lungs, kidneys, arms and legs can all be seen. From 30 weeks, ultrasound is often used to estimate how well the baby appears to be growing.
The bloodstream in the umbilical cord is also examined to see if it is transporting sufficient oxygen and nutrition to the foetus. It is also possible to check the position of the placenta to see whether it is lying normally.
“With the 5D ultrasound machine, the mother gets a realistic view of her baby, its moods and movement, and this allows her to get to know the child better even before it is born. This, in itself, is very good for mother child already,” says Dr Sharifah.
YP Liew, director of LAC Medical, the distributor of Samsung UGEO WS80, says expectant mothers can also download Hello Mom, an Android smartphone application for pregnant mothers that can be wirelessly connected to UGEO WS80A to download foetal ultrasound images and moives.
“Mothers can then easily share the ultrasound images or movies with others, and they can also keep track of their baby’s growth using Mommy Note,” he says.
Dr Sharifah says she has been getting lots of enquiries about the new scanning images ever since she posted them on her Facebook page. “It gives expectant parents some form of confidence to see such realistic pictures of their babies,” she says.
Norhalinawati