When you’re pregnant, nine months can seem like a long time. Not only because of the side effects of pregnancy such as morning sickness but because it’s such a long time to go without knowing what your baby looks like. Of course with technology like 3D scans and ultrasounds, we have a good idea of the shape of our babies and how they’re doing but why not MRIs?
Well, according to Dr Karan Raj, an NHS surgeon, we don’t routinely get MRI scans because they’re expensive but also because… babies look kind of terrifying in MRI scans. Instead of the cute, chubby figures that we’re used to seeing in scans, we’re presented with some kind of Mr Bean lookalike.
In the video captioned “if you’re pregnant whilst watching this, I’m sorry”, Dr Raj says “not everyone wants a Pickle Rick gender reveal or (to know) that they’re incubating a mini Mr Bean but the real reason ultrasound are used instead of MRIs is that they’re way cheaper and more accessible.”
We can also get a glimpse of this if the ultrasound has the baby facing forwards but that’s almost never the case and we are instead often presented with the cute, cosy, images of a baby in utero.
He adds that of course, if there are any foetal abnormalities that doctors want to get a closer look at, they’ll use an MRI or CT scan but as a routine procedure, an ultrasound is far more accessible and cheaper. Not to mention less spooky.