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When you can hear the fetal heartbeat on the ultrasound

The main indicator of the viability of the embryo is its heartbeat. This factor allows to determine the probability of an unfavourable situation for the unborn child. Every gynecologist pays great attention to the work of the heart baby, and therefore exercises control over his pace during the entire pregnancy and also during labor.

How is the development of the embryo in the period from 3 to 5 a week?

Still in the process of laying a small part of the heart tissue begins to decline (in the future it will be transformed into a full-fledged cardiac ventricles). It should be noted that such contractile movement is in no way associated with the nervous system of the embryo. Modern medicine proved that nervous tissue does not regulate the process of the heartbeat.

If on examination of the patient (with the help of heavy-duty vehicles) experts can determine the heart beat in 5th week of fetal development, pregnant women will experience these amazing sensations in the interval between the 6th and 8th weeks.

As doctors observe heart activity of the baby by ultrasound?

Thanks to modern diagnostic techniques, specialists can determine the fetal heartbeat. Pregnant women are now pursuing transvaginal ultrasound examination, which helped in the earlier stages to detect the heart rate. Unlike transabdominal studies (detects heart rate only in the 6th – 7th week) carried out on the abdomen, a vaginal sensor to determine the heartbeat on the 5th – 6th week.

A very important point is the heart rate (HR). Modern medicine established such standards, which are used by gynecologists when examining each pregnant woman:

The duration of pregnancy (in weeks)Heart rate (beats per minute)Deviations from the norm
6-8Appears heart rate 110-130The reduction of strokes to 85-100
9-10170-190Palpitations, exceeding 200 beats
11-40140-160Not heard the heartbeat

Digital the difference is easily explained by the formation at different stages of pregnancy the nervous system (autonomic). It was from her will depend on the work of all internal organs and systems of the baby. If during the examination of a fetus that is larger than 8 mm, the specialist will not detect heart rate, then he will establish the diagnosis of missed miscarriage.

In such a situation, the woman shall be a further ultrasonicthe study, whose goal is the confirmation or refutation of the primary diagnosis. This diagnosis is assigned after 5-7 days since the last ultrasound, and during the examination of a pregnant woman, the doctor draws attention to the following indicators:

  • heart rate (at this time the child tapped 140-160 beats per minute);
  • the location of the heart in the embryo at this age the body should occupy 1/3 of the chest and placed in her left side);
  • the nature of the heart rate (the specialist needs to identify gaps or rhythm), etc.