Is NT the same as B-ultrasound?

Everyone is familiar with B-ultrasound examinations. Some people have inexplicable symptoms in their abdomen. At this time, B-ultrasound is needed to check the internal organs, especially for pregnant women. B-ultrasound is a must when going to the hospital for pregnancy check-ups. In comparison, many people don’t know what nt means. The Chinese name of nt is nuchal translucency, which is also a term that is often encountered during pregnancy. Many people confuse nt and B-ultrasound. Are they the same thing?

Is NT the same as B-ultrasound?

Pregnant mothers need to establish a prenatal health record from pregnancy to delivery, and also undergo a series of examinations as required by the doctor. For example, progesterone test, glucose tolerance test, Down syndrome screening, NT test and so on. You may be familiar with these terms in the prenatal examination records, but you don’t have a deeper understanding. Today, let’s learn about whether NT is a vaginal ultrasound or a B-ultrasound.

Is NT a vaginal ultrasound or a B-ultrasound?

The NT test is also one of the diagnostic bases for early Down syndrome screening. The purpose of the test is to diagnose chromosomal diseases and detect fetal abnormalities caused by various reasons at an earlier stage of pregnancy. This NT examination is a B-ultrasound, not a vaginal ultrasound. Doctors will try not to perform vaginal ultrasound examinations during pregnancy.

The difference between NT test and Down syndrome screening

1. NT screening refers to the thickness of the nuchal translucency and the serum test of pregnant women. The nuchal translucency refers to the space where water accumulates under the skin behind the fetus' neck. During an ultrasound scan, the doctor will measure the thickness of the space between the skin and tissue in detail. The nuchal translucency will be significantly thickened in fetuses with chromosomal abnormalities, especially in babies with Down syndrome. Down syndrome is usually more likely to occur in older mothers. Medical literature has confirmed that the thicker the nuchal translucency of the fetus, the higher the chance of chromosomal abnormalities. NT screening is performed between 11 and 13 weeks of pregnancy.

2. Down syndrome screening is a detection method that extracts serum from pregnant women, tests the concentration of alpha-fetoprotein, chorionic gonadotropin and free estriol in the maternal serum, and calculates the risk of giving birth to a fetus with congenital defects based on the pregnant woman's expected date of delivery, weight, age, weight and gestational age at the time of blood collection. The best time to do Down syndrome screening is between 15 and 20 weeks of pregnancy.

3. NT is an ultrasound used to screen for trisomy 21 at around 11-13 weeks of pregnancy, while Down syndrome screening is a screening method using serum blood markers at around 15-18 weeks of pregnancy. These are examinations performed using different methods at different stages, and sometimes a combined examination of the two is required.

To sum up, these are my understandings and insights on the question of whether NT should be done by transvaginal ultrasound or B-ultrasound. I hope it will be helpful to everyone. A series of prenatal examinations are all for the purpose of giving birth to a healthy baby. Although it is very hard, pregnant mothers must persist. When the baby is born, all the hard work seems worth it because life is continued.