The Role of Ultrasound in Preventing Birth Injuries

Expectant parents in Ontario often hear about prenatal ultrasound, yet many think of it as just a routine appointment. In truth, it is a powerful tool that enables doctors to monitor a baby’s growth, identify potential health concerns, and plan care before birth. Timing, however, is everything.

Done early and accurately, a prenatal ultrasound can catch problems when they are easier to treat. Done too late, it may miss the window of opportunity when intervention could make a difference.

This blog discusses the importance of accurate imaging and how timely prenatal testing and scans work together to keep both mother and baby safe.

Why Prenatal Ultrasound Matters

During pregnancy, a prenatal ultrasound can do much more than look for problems in the baby.

• Find Health Concerns Early

A pregnancy scan creates a sonogram, which is a clear image of the baby. Doctors look at the head, face, spine, arms, legs, heart, and other organs. They also check the placenta’s position, the amount of amniotic fluid, and the blood flow through the umbilical cord.

With this information, they can detect growth restrictions, birth defects, or placental problems before they become dangerous. Timely identification allows for increased choices in treatment and observation.

• Plan With the Right Care

When an issue is found, action can start quickly. Doctors may book extra scans, arrange specialist care, or plan delivery in a hospital with newborn services. Sometimes, they will recommend further testing to confirm what the scan shows, as this will help decide the best way forward.

• Give Parents Peace of Mind

A clear pregnancy scan that shows normal growth can greatly reduce worry. Parents will feel more confident and prepared for the months ahead.

Timing and Healthcare Access

When talking about pregnancy scans, the timing can shape the entire course of care.

For instance, the first-trimester prenatal ultrasound, also known as early scan, is done between 11 and 14 weeks. This scan provides the most accurate due date by measuring the baby’s crown-to-rump length. Doctors also track early growth and confirm the baby’s location in the uterus.

There are cases where an early scan revealed twins or triplets. In rare cases, it uncovers serious complications such as ectopic pregnancy or abnormal development before symptoms appear.

The optimal pregnancy scan happens in the second trimester, between 18 and 22 weeks. This mid-pregnancy prenatal ultrasound, also called the anatomy scan, produces high-detail sonograms of the baby’s brain, heart, spine, kidneys, stomach, and limbs.

Placental position and blood flow through the umbilical cord are examined. These details can uncover problems like heart defects or restricted growth. Some of these conditions have treatments before birth, which can dramatically improve the baby’s health after delivery.

A study reveals that 27.4% of Canadian women get early scans, 68.4% get optimal scans, and 4.35% are scanned too late. Ontario sees higher early scans at 33.3%, but fewer optimal scans at 63.2%.

Rural and remote communities are considered one of the causes. They have fewer prenatal ultrasound machines, face longer wait times, and have less access to specialists, which can delay care when every week matters.

Risks When Prenatal Ultrasound Fails

When the pregnancy scan is done at the wrong time or the image quality is poor, important warning signs can be missed. Timing matters because the different stages of pregnancy reveal different aspects of fetal health.

For example, certain heart or brain abnormalities may only be visible during specific weeks. If the pregnancy scan happens too early or too late, these signs can go undetected.

Poor image quality is a big problem. If the images are blurry, incomplete, or out of focus, even an experienced tech will miss conditions that need attention.

Mistakes like that can lead to preventable outcomes like birth injury during delivery, dystocia (difficult labour), or long-term conditions like cerebral palsy. Such cases are not meeting Canadian standards of care, where timely and accurate prenatal ultrasound imaging is expected.

Meeting those standards means abnormalities are detected early, interventions are planned, and the mother and baby have the best chance of a safe birth.

What Parents Can Do

Parents can take an active role in making sure prenatal imaging is safe and effective. Don’t wait for the problems to appear—start with the basics:

• Confirm that your pregnancy scan dates match the standard schedule in Canada. This is usually once in the first trimester, again between 18-22 weeks, and later if needed.

• During every prenatal ultrasound, speak up. If something is unclear, ask the sonographer or doctor to explain. Ask plain questions like: “What does this mean?” “Is everything developing as expected?” Keep notes.

• When a doctor suggests prenatal testing beyond ultrasound (like genetic screening or Doppler flow studies), take it seriously. These tools can confirm or rule out concerns early.

What is an ultrasound misdiagnosis?

An ultrasound misdiagnosis happens when the results are wrong or unclear. It can be a false positive, a false negative, a blurry image, or no follow-up.

• A false positive can lead to stress, unnecessary treatment, or risky procedures.

• A false negative can hide a serious issue, stopping expectant mothers from getting help in time.

• Poor-quality images during a pregnancy scan can miss problems with the baby’s growth or organs.

• A missed follow-up after prenatal testing can cause more harm.

When a prenatal ultrasound is read incorrectly or ignored, it can be a sign of medical negligence in Ontario and across Canada.

We Are Your Compassionate Legal Protector

Have you experienced a birth injury because a prenatal ultrasound was misread, or are you trying to understand your legal options if it ever happens to you? If yes, it is important to know that you, alongside most families, face powerful defence teams:

• Hospitals and nurses are backed by the Healthcare Insurance Reciprocal of Canada (HIROC).

• Doctors have the Canadian Medical Protective Association (CMPA), which defends them in malpractice claims.

These groups are well-funded, prepared, and determined to protect their own. Fighting for fair birth injury settlements is also never simple. These cases require both medical negligence, like ultrasound misdiagnosis, and its link to your child’s condition. This means collecting expert opinions, reviewing years of medical records, and building an evidence-based claim.

At Sommers Roth & Elmaleh, we have over 40 years of experience handling tough cases involving prenatal ultrasound errors. Our compassionate lawyers know how to counter defence strategies, challenge inaccurate reports, and uncover what should have been done to prevent the injury.

Our commitment is not just legal; it is also deeply personal. Call us today at 1-844-940-2386 or contact us here to get the truth, protect your rights, and receive the settlement your family needs to get care, therapy, and a secure future.