A meta-analysis from the Cochrane library
on ultrasound for early pregnancy fetal assessment(6)
collected data from 9 good quality trials to assess the
use of routine (screening) ultrasound compared with
the selective use of ultrasound in early pregnancy
(before 24 weeks). According to the meta-analysis,
routine ultrasound in early pregnancy appears to enable
better gestational age assessment, earlier detection of
multiple pregnancies and earlier detection of clinically
unsuspected fetal malformation at a time when termination
of pregnancy is possible. However, the benefits
for other substantive outcomes are not as clear.