Disclaimer

The information on this website has been provided in good faith, but its accuracy or completeness can’t be guaranteed. The content of this website has been compiled with the greatest of care, but experience has taught us that some information may be out of date or contain inaccuracies. No rights can therefore be derived from the information on this website. Het Haagse Hof does not accept any liability for any damage that is the direct or indirect consequence of, or is related to, using the information made available on this website. Het Haagse Hof reserves the right to make changes and corrections to this website without prior notice.

Please read all the information carefully before having an ultrasound.

You can visit our centre for diagnostic and screening ultrasounds.

Diagnostic ultrasounds

Your midwife/doctor will determine which diagnostic ultrasounds are necessary during your pregnancy. The health insurer will only reimburse ultrasounds for which there is a medical indication.

Indications are:

* due date determination, to determine how far along the pregnancy has progressed. The gestational age can be reliably determined from 8 weeks and 5 days. We cannot determine the gestational age in the very early stages of pregnancy. An ultrasound before 8 weeks and 5 days is therefore not reimbursed by the health insurer. The gestational age can most reliably be determined from 10 weeks.

* diagnosis ultrasound to find out why you are experiencing blood loss

* diagnosis ultrasound to check the growth of the baby

* diagnosis ultrasound to check the placenta’s position

* diagnosis ultrasound after 35 weeks to determine the baby’s position

The following applies to the above mentioned ultrasounds:

These ultrasounds do not look for any abnormalities in your child. No specific findings during this examination is not a guarantee for a healthy child. You and your midwife or doctor will always be informed if the sonographer finds anything unusual or abnormalities in your child, the placenta and/or womb with the above indications. In addition to the ultrasounds requested by the midwife, you can also opt to have the structural ultrasound done between 18 and 21 weeks. You will receive detailed information regarding this examination from your referrer.

The Structural Ultrasound Examination (SUE) or 20 week ultrasound

The SUE will look for structural abnormalities in your child. Not all abnormalities are detected during the SUE. The fact that not all abnormalities are always visible applies to all ultrasounds. In addition, not all birth defects will be present during pregnancy. No specific findings during this examination is not a guarantee for a healthy child. The consequences for the child are not always clear if an abnormality is found during the SUE. In such cases you would be referred to a specialised gynaecologist. He or she can confirm the abnormality. However, this follow-up examination can also show that there is nothing wrong with your child, or that there is still some uncertainty as to exactly what is going on and what the impact will be. The SUE will be reimbursed by the health insurer. 

Quality of the images

The quality of the images can be influenced by, for example, the position of the child in the womb, the position of the placenta and the amount of amniotic fluid surrounding the child. Another factor is the thickness of the abdominal wall.

Early ultrasound

The womb is still small in early pregnancy (before 10 weeks) and is completely hidden behind the pubic bone, which is why a medical ultrasound is performed by inserting a narrow ultrasound probe into the vagina. This is not usually experienced as painful. The imaging is considerably better than with an ultrasound via the abdominal wall. You can see the heart beating on an ultrasound from 6 weeks. The foetus can’t yet be easily recognised as a child very early on in the pregnancy.

Ultrasounds on request (non-medical, privately booked ultrasounds)

You can have fun ultrasounds performed by us. These ultrasounds are not reimbursed by the health insurer. The purpose of these requested ultrasounds is in no way medical-diagnostic. These ultrasounds therefore do not look for abnormalities in the mother or child. This means Het Haagse Hof or the individual sonographers can never be held liable in any way for abnormalities found later on in the pregnancy.

The sonographer will inform you and your midwife or doctor if he/she finds or suspects an abnormality by chance. Please be sure to inform the sonographer if you are aware of the existence of (suspected) abnormalities before the start of the ultrasound. We would like to point out that this ultrasound does not constitute a medical necessity, medical advice or assessment.

The full medical responsibility for your pregnancy therefore rests with your midwife and/or doctor. This means that there is in no way any question of a medical treatment agreement, as referred to in Article 7:446 of the Dutch Civil Code. No statement made during or after the ultrasound consultation may be interpreted as a medical assessment. No guarantee is given on gender determination. No rights can be derived from the assessment issued; therefore no liability is accepted in this respect. The image quality is determined by a number of factors beyond our control. (Please also refer to the “quality of images” chapter) We therefore can’t guarantee the image quality.

Imagery

If you are given photographs or a USB stick, these will also include other privacy-sensitive data in addition to the ultrasound images. You are responsible for protecting this data against unauthorised access by third parties.