Sex Determination
Through the process of amniocentesis, mothers are able to determine whether or not their child has certain gene abnormalities. It’s done by taking the amnio fluid in the woman’s uterus when she is around 15-20 weeks pregnant. The amnio fluid surrounds the baby in the womb, and by using this, doctors are able to test the genes located in the fluid. Using this procedure, women are also able to detect down syndrome, cystic fibrosis, sickle cell disease, and many others. But not all women get this procedure, because of the risks that go along with it. First of all it’s invasive and painful, and second their is a slight chance of miscarriage. That being said, there are other reasons to have this procedure done.
Depending on the women’s background, children can have an increased risk of certain diseases. For instance, a genetic disorder such as hemophilia can be transmitted if a mother is a carrier and the father has hemophilia. There are also certain instances, like if the baby has a different blood type then the mother (called blood sensitization), where it is necessary for the doctors to know about the health and condition of the baby. In the case of early delivery, it’s a good idea to get an amnio because they are able to see how developed your child’s lungs are. Unless there are diseases that run in the family, many women choose to have an ultrasound instead.
Ultrasounding is also used sometimes to determine defects in babies. By use of sound waves, doctors are then able to see a picture of the baby, and also a picture of the inside of the baby, almost like and x-ray. There are many different aspects to an ultrasound, For instance, sometimes it is necessary to use a Doppler ultrasound which shows the movement of blood throughout the body of the fetus - which can also be displayed as a graph if it is more beneficial in that particular baby. But one of the most important facts about ultrasounds is that there is absolutely no risk to them. There is absolutely zero risk to having an ultrasound to both the mother and baby. And this is also one of the main reasons why women use ultrasounds; besides that fact that we are also able to tell what the sex of the baby is. Many people believe that ultrasounding is basically a moving x-ray, but what it actually is, is a picture produced by sound waves. The sound waves bounce off the baby and give makes it so that the sonographer is able to see the baby in great detail. However, it isn't always so easy to ascertain the sex of the baby. Things like the thickness of the abdominal wall, position of the baby, and the amount of amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus all have to be taken into consideration. This process can usually be done as early as 16 weeks into the pregnancy and can be told with almost 95% accuracy.
By use of this new technology, we are able to have knowledge that our ancestors were missing during their pregnancies. The secret to disease and the cure to them may be closer than we think, as this kind of information starts to surface. The technology used creates incredible pictures and may become more advanced and clearer as time goes on. We may even be able to cure these disease before the babies infected with them are born. We are also able to determine the sex of the baby, a secret that many parents choose to hear. With something as exciting as a baby on the way, curiosity can overwhelm us. Unless you want to be surprised, there is no risk to think that knowing is a bad thing, or something that should be stopped. It becomes a question of whether some people like keeping secrets and others need to know the secretive information. The funny thing is, you are either one way or the other: You either really want to know, or you adamantly don't want to know. This information can also make you wary to the baby that's coming. What mother wants to hear that they're going to have a child with birth defects or Autism. Ultrasounds are used as a tool to unlock secrets, causing both good and bad by-products.
Depending on the women’s background, children can have an increased risk of certain diseases. For instance, a genetic disorder such as hemophilia can be transmitted if a mother is a carrier and the father has hemophilia. There are also certain instances, like if the baby has a different blood type then the mother (called blood sensitization), where it is necessary for the doctors to know about the health and condition of the baby. In the case of early delivery, it’s a good idea to get an amnio because they are able to see how developed your child’s lungs are. Unless there are diseases that run in the family, many women choose to have an ultrasound instead.
Ultrasounding is also used sometimes to determine defects in babies. By use of sound waves, doctors are then able to see a picture of the baby, and also a picture of the inside of the baby, almost like and x-ray. There are many different aspects to an ultrasound, For instance, sometimes it is necessary to use a Doppler ultrasound which shows the movement of blood throughout the body of the fetus - which can also be displayed as a graph if it is more beneficial in that particular baby. But one of the most important facts about ultrasounds is that there is absolutely no risk to them. There is absolutely zero risk to having an ultrasound to both the mother and baby. And this is also one of the main reasons why women use ultrasounds; besides that fact that we are also able to tell what the sex of the baby is. Many people believe that ultrasounding is basically a moving x-ray, but what it actually is, is a picture produced by sound waves. The sound waves bounce off the baby and give makes it so that the sonographer is able to see the baby in great detail. However, it isn't always so easy to ascertain the sex of the baby. Things like the thickness of the abdominal wall, position of the baby, and the amount of amniotic fluid surrounding the fetus all have to be taken into consideration. This process can usually be done as early as 16 weeks into the pregnancy and can be told with almost 95% accuracy.
By use of this new technology, we are able to have knowledge that our ancestors were missing during their pregnancies. The secret to disease and the cure to them may be closer than we think, as this kind of information starts to surface. The technology used creates incredible pictures and may become more advanced and clearer as time goes on. We may even be able to cure these disease before the babies infected with them are born. We are also able to determine the sex of the baby, a secret that many parents choose to hear. With something as exciting as a baby on the way, curiosity can overwhelm us. Unless you want to be surprised, there is no risk to think that knowing is a bad thing, or something that should be stopped. It becomes a question of whether some people like keeping secrets and others need to know the secretive information. The funny thing is, you are either one way or the other: You either really want to know, or you adamantly don't want to know. This information can also make you wary to the baby that's coming. What mother wants to hear that they're going to have a child with birth defects or Autism. Ultrasounds are used as a tool to unlock secrets, causing both good and bad by-products.
Websites-
"Amniocentesis | BabyCenter." BabyCenter | Homepage - Pregnancy, Baby, Toddler, Kids. July 2010. Web. 27 Apr. 2011. <http://www.babycenter.com/0_amniocentesis_327.bc>.
"Ultrasound - General." RadiologyInfo - The Radiology Information Resource for Patients. 10 Feb. 2010. Web. 27 Apr. 2011. <http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=genus>.
http://www.amazingpregnancy.com/pregnancy-articles/14.html
Images-
"Google Images." Google. Pregnancy Ultrasound, May 2009. Web. 27 Apr. 2011. <http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pregnancycheck.com/img/pregnancy-ultrasound-17-weeks.jpeg>.
"Amniocentesis | BabyCenter." BabyCenter | Homepage - Pregnancy, Baby, Toddler, Kids. July 2010. Web. 27 Apr. 2011. <http://www.babycenter.com/0_amniocentesis_327.bc>.
"Ultrasound - General." RadiologyInfo - The Radiology Information Resource for Patients. 10 Feb. 2010. Web. 27 Apr. 2011. <http://www.radiologyinfo.org/en/info.cfm?pg=genus>.
http://www.amazingpregnancy.com/pregnancy-articles/14.html
Images-
"Google Images." Google. Pregnancy Ultrasound, May 2009. Web. 27 Apr. 2011. <http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.pregnancycheck.com/img/pregnancy-ultrasound-17-weeks.jpeg>.
