Ultrasound in pregnancy - a contribution to safe and gentle delivery?

The routine application of ultrasound in pregnancy has had an important imp act on perinatal medicine. New trends in perinatal medicine, aiming at more individual and self-determined pregnancy and delivery, are realizable beca use of the safety provided by ultrasound. Often prenatal ultrasound is rega rded as only being able to detect fetal malformations, but ultrasound provi des many more benefits for a safe pregnancy: early detection of fetal viabi lity; intrauterine localization of the pregnancy; exact determination of th e gestational age in early pregnancy; later in pregnancy, confirmation of a ppropriate fetal growth, position and localization of placenta site. In add ition, the development of close mother-child bonding by visualizing the fet us could be of positive impact. These aspects are contributions of ultrasou nd to a gentle and safe pregnancy and delivery for mother and child.