ABSTRACT

The area of obstetric ultrasonography has undergone rapid and dramatic evolution over the past three decades. Initial imaging studies were limited to rudimentary evaluations of fetal position and identification of amniotic fluid pockets to the current state of the art, which offers the potential for three-dimensional image reconstructions and targeted Doppler sonographic interrogation of the heart and cerebral vascular structures. Because of the rapid pace of change within the field, several professional organizations offer guidance about routine performance of obstetric ultrasound. In the United States, the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (ACOG), the American College of Radiology (ACR), and the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) have offered guidelines for obstetric sonography, while in the British Commonwealth, the Royal College of Obstetrics and Gynecology (RCOG) of England, and the Society of Obstetrics and Gynecology of Canada (SOGC) offer recommendations and guidance. Potential resources include the following publications: ACOG, Practice Bulletin 27; ACOG, Technical Bulletin 187, Ultrasonography In Pregnancy (12/93) (http://www.acog.org); ACR, Standard for the Performance of Antepartum Obstetrical Ultrasound (http://www.acr.org); AIUM, Standards for Performance of the Antepartum Obstetrical Ultrasound Examination (http://www.aium.org); RCOG, Ultrasound Screening for Fetal Anomalies and the Value of Ultrasound in Pregnancy (http://www.rcog.org.uk); SCOG, Guidelines of Ultrasound as Part of Routine Prenatal Care (8/99), Obstetrics/Gynecologic Ultrasound (7/97) (http://www.sogc.medical.org).