What Does Fetal MRI Examine, and Are There Any Risks Involved?

Fetal MRI is used to examine whether there are any abnormalities in the abdomen of the fetus or the placenta, and it is harmless. Fetal MRI can provide a lot of useful information and evaluate fetal abdominal abnormalities, placental abnormalities, and more. Compared with ultrasonography, MRI has a larger field of vision, better contrast of soft tissue, and can display fetal organs with high quality, which is more conducive to assessing the spatial relationship of fetal anatomic abnormalities and the relationship between larger lesions and surrounding structures. However, MRI cannot completely display all morphological abnormalities of the fetus. For example, some malformations of the fetal position, body surface, and some limbs cannot be well displayed. When pregnant women undergo fetal MRI, it is necessary to grasp the time well. Before 28 weeks, the imaging results of this examination may not be clear because the fetus is not fully developed. However, after that, all parts of the fetus can be clearly imaged. This is the most suitable time for this examination. Fetal MRI is harmless. Pregnant women can proceed with the examination as usual and do not need special attention. Detecting the areas that need to be examined can ensure the health of the fetus. This examination can detect the development of the fetus early and respond in time. Injection of a contrast agent may be required to make the images more accurate and clear. This agent has no harm to the child, so there is no need to worry about side effects. This substance will be expelled from the mother's body in a short time. The entire process of fetal MRI takes about 30 minutes. Pregnant women should carefully follow the doctor's instructions during the entire process. After the examination, it usually takes several hours for the doctor to give you the results. From the images, the doctor can determine whether there are abnormalities in the fetus's body and summarize the situation. During this process, you only need to wait quietly. General hospitals usually recommend that the examinee go home and wait for one to three days. Some hospitals can get the results in half a day. The doctor will tell the examiner about the development of the fetus's head and how to care for and correct it.