So far, ultrasounds have been the main tool for fetal health examinations.
Ultrasounds are affordable and easy to transport, but it doesn't generate as much information as an MRI scan, which could potentially measure the volume of specific chemicals in the placenta and in fetal organs.
This method would be especially helpful for prevention purposes, to catch potential malfunctions and/or issues, before they actually pose a threat to the fetus's health. For example, as found by Ellen Grant’s group, "measurements of oxygen absorption rates in the placenta can indicate placental disorders that might endanger the fetus". The timely measurement of these rates could prove to be the determining factor for the survival or not of the fetus, and they cannot be performed using ultrasound scans.
Hence it is very fortunate that MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence research department was able to generate "a new algorithm for tracking organs through sequences of MRI scans".
Picture1 - Fetal Ultrasound
Picture 2 - Fetal MRI
Picture 3 - Placental MRI
References:
http://news.mit.edu/2016/algorithm-mri-scans-fetal-health-1021
Image Sources:
1 - https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F2%2F2f%2FCRL_Crown_rump_lengh_12_weeks_ecografia_Dr._Wolfgang_Moroder.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FUltrasound&docid=6Kozj1SQ0QlfvM&tbnid=gAWPT2uSwNGlCM%3A&w=976&h=735&bih=1039&biw=1070&ved=0ahUKEwi0-PnMme3PAhXLLSYKHRKDBMEQMwgwKAAwAA&iact=mrc&uact=8
2 - https://www.google.com/search?q=MRI+SCan&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjtityome3PAhXHwiYKHR3oC18Q_AUICCgB&biw=1070&bih=1039&dpr=0.9#tbm=isch&q=fetus+mri&imgrc=nLMWN29OmcR9DM%3A
3 - https://www.google.com/search?q=placental+mri&biw=1070&bih=1039&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiRvILxme3PAhXM5iYKHXqeB5wQ_AUIBigB&dpr=0.9#imgrc=_S7UIA0OzgzrDM%3A
Ultrasounds are affordable and easy to transport, but it doesn't generate as much information as an MRI scan, which could potentially measure the volume of specific chemicals in the placenta and in fetal organs.
This method would be especially helpful for prevention purposes, to catch potential malfunctions and/or issues, before they actually pose a threat to the fetus's health. For example, as found by Ellen Grant’s group, "measurements of oxygen absorption rates in the placenta can indicate placental disorders that might endanger the fetus". The timely measurement of these rates could prove to be the determining factor for the survival or not of the fetus, and they cannot be performed using ultrasound scans.
Hence it is very fortunate that MIT's Computer Science and Artificial Intelligence research department was able to generate "a new algorithm for tracking organs through sequences of MRI scans".
Picture1 - Fetal Ultrasound
References:
http://news.mit.edu/2016/algorithm-mri-scans-fetal-health-1021
Image Sources:
1 - https://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl=https%3A%2F%2Fupload.wikimedia.org%2Fwikipedia%2Fcommons%2F2%2F2f%2FCRL_Crown_rump_lengh_12_weeks_ecografia_Dr._Wolfgang_Moroder.jpg&imgrefurl=https%3A%2F%2Fen.wikipedia.org%2Fwiki%2FUltrasound&docid=6Kozj1SQ0QlfvM&tbnid=gAWPT2uSwNGlCM%3A&w=976&h=735&bih=1039&biw=1070&ved=0ahUKEwi0-PnMme3PAhXLLSYKHRKDBMEQMwgwKAAwAA&iact=mrc&uact=8
2 - https://www.google.com/search?q=MRI+SCan&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwjtityome3PAhXHwiYKHR3oC18Q_AUICCgB&biw=1070&bih=1039&dpr=0.9#tbm=isch&q=fetus+mri&imgrc=nLMWN29OmcR9DM%3A
3 - https://www.google.com/search?q=placental+mri&biw=1070&bih=1039&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0ahUKEwiRvILxme3PAhXM5iYKHXqeB5wQ_AUIBigB&dpr=0.9#imgrc=_S7UIA0OzgzrDM%3A
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