Ultrasounds are important for three main reasons:

  • Used to find the cause of a symptom or physical finding.
  • Looks for problems that might be there but have not caused symptoms.
  • May find birth defects.

What else are ultrasounds good for?

  • Finding out the sex of your baby.
  • Figuring out how far along you are in your pregnancy.
  • Seeing if the placenta is located where it should be.
  • Baby’s position and expected weight.

Ultrasounds are safe and have no side effects. Your first ultrasound should be around the 20th week of pregnancy.

Source: womenshealth.gov