Nuchal Translucency (NT) Ultrasound

The 11-14 week (nuchal translucency) ultrasound can be done as part of enhanced First Trimester Screening or on its own. 

No matter what prenatal genetic screening choice you make, you can have this ultrasound to get information about the growth and development of the baby.

Talk with your health-care provider if you would like to get this ultrasound. In Ontario, this test can be arranged by:

  • doctors (such as family doctors, obstetricians)
  • nurse practitioners
  • midwives

Your health-care provider should give you a requisition form and might schedule this ultrasound for you. Instead, your health-care provider might ask you to book the ultrasound yourself by calling the phone number on the requisition.

The 11-14 week (nuchal translucency) ultrasound is done at a hospital or a clinic with a certified nuchal translucency (NT) sonographer or doctor. Some clinics wait until 12 weeks of pregnancy to get the best images of the baby. 

If you or your health-care provider is looking for a facility that can do the ultrasound, you can use the interactive map below by zooming in to locate a NT ultrasound facility near you. As you zoom in, you'll see the name and street address of each facility. Click on the name of the facility to link to a webpage with more information.  

Disclaimer

This map is a tool to help providers and pregnant individuals in finding NT ultrasound services in Ontario. Please note:

  • Inclusion of any facility on this map does not imply PSO endorsement or assurance of the quality of services provided. This map is to be used for informational purposes only. PSO cannot guarantee the accuracy of the information provided. This information should not supersede advice from a qualified medical professional. 

  • This map is updated monthly by PSO and may not be an exhaustive list of all facilities that offer NT ultrasound in the province. 

If you are a facility offering NT ultrasound and would like to be included, or removed, from this map, Please contact PSO@BORNOntario.ca 

For some people it is difficult to get to a hospital or clinic that can do this special ultrasound. If that is the case, you can still have a regular ultrasound in your area (without the nuchal translucency measurement) between 11 and 14 weeks of pregnancy. This can be followed by a screening test that does not require the nuchal translucency ultrasound (Second Trimester Screening)

The 11-14 week nuchal translucency ultrasound is an option for any pregnant person who is early enough in the pregnancy to have it. The ultrasound can be done if:

  • You choose enhanced First Trimester Screening (eFTS)
    • You may be having the ultrasound as part of enhanced First Trimester Screening (eFTS). In this case, the ultrasound can be done between 11 weeks 2 days and 13 weeks 3 days of pregnancy. eFTS uses information from this ultrasound to tell you the chance for the baby to have trisomy 21 or trisomy 18. 
    • Download Instructions
  • You choose Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT)
    • A 11-14 week (nuchal translucency) ultrasound can still be done even if you have Non-Invasive Prenatal Testing (NIPT). The ultrasound gives you information about the growth and development of the baby and it can be done between 11 weeks 2 days and 13 weeks 6 days of pregnancy.
  • You are expecting one baby, but experienced a "vanishing twin"
    • If you are aware that your pregnancy started as twins, but one twin was lost (vanishing twin / co-twin demise), you still have the option of prenatal genetic screening. In this case, the ultrasound can be done between 11 weeks 2 days and 13 weeks 3 days of pregnancy, followed by a blood test later in the pregnancy. 
    • Download instructions
  • You decide not to have prenatal genetic screening
    • If you choose not to have a prenatal screening test for trisomy 21 and trisomy 18, you can still have a 11-14 week (nuchal translucency) ultrasound on its own between 11 weeks 2 days and 13 weeks 6 days of pregnancy.

This ultrasound measures the clear (translucent) fluid at the back of the baby's neck. This pocket of fluid is also called the nuchal translucency (NT). It is normal for every baby to have some fluid at the back of the neck at this time. 

When a baby has more fluid than what we typically see, it means there is a higher chance for the baby to have a genetic condition or another health issue.

This ultrasound can give you an accurate due date, and can tell you how many babies you are expecting. The ultrasound also looks at the baby's body parts, like the heart and the brain. The baby is still too small at this stage to be able to see the body parts in detail. There may be differences in how the body is growing and developing which cannot be seen at this time, but will be more obvious later in pregnancy at the 18-22 week (detailed anatomy) ultrasound. 

It takes a few business days for your health-care provider to get the results of your 11-14 week ultrasound. If you had this ultrasound as part of the enhanced First Trimester Screening, your health-care provider will get those results separately.

Contact Us

Prenatal Screening Ontario 
CHEO Research Institute 
Centre for Practice-Changing Research Building 
401 Smyth Road 
Ottawa, ON K1H 8L1

pso@bornontario.ca

Information line
Phone: 613-737-2281
Toll-Free: 1-833-351-6490

Monday to Friday, 9:00 AM to 3:00 PM EST

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Virtual educational sessions on prenatal screening and nuchal translucency quality assurance are available upon request for health‑care providers.