The growth wellbeing scan is an ultrasound scan and is usually carried at about 32 weeks of pregnancy.

Some obstetricians advise that this scan is offered to all women. Others reserve such scans for those women who have had previous complications of pregnancy such as pre-eclampsia, growth restriction, diabetes, stillbirth, and for those women who develop a problem during the course of their current pregnancy.

The growth wellbeing scan aims to determine the growth and health of the baby by:

• Measurement of the size of the baby’s head, abdomen and thigh bone and calculation of an estimate of fetal weight
• Examination of the movements of the baby
• Evaluation of the placental position and appearance
• Measurement of the amount of amniotic fluid
• Assessment of blood flow to the placenta and baby by colour Doppler ultrasound.