Health Council advises against making 13-week prenatal ultrasound routine
The Gezondheidsraad recommends that the 13-week fetal echo not become a standard screening, citing limited benefit and frequent inaccuracies.
A review ordered by the Ministry of Health, Welfare and Sport revealed that the 13-week prenatal ultrasound frequently yields unreliable results. The Gezondheidsraad observed that a relatively small proportion of scans identified genuine fetal abnormalities, while many reported anomalies turned out to be false positives, requiring additional examinations. Because the detection rate was low compared to the total number of scans performed, the council judged that the advantages do not outweigh the drawbacks.
Previously, the first routine scan was performed around the 20-week mark. Although an earlier scan could theoretically allow more time for decision-making, the evidence does not support its systematic use. Consequently, the Gezondheidsraad advises against making the 13-week echo a standard practice.
