Having an ultrasound

Your child’s ultrasound is scheduled for (date) ___________ at (time) _______________ in the Imaging (Radiology) Department at the Children’s Wisconsin - Milwaukee Hospital. 

Please stop at a Welcome Desk for a badge and directions.

What is an ultrasound?

An ultrasound is done to look at the soft parts inside the body. It is not an x-ray. It uses sound waves to make images of body parts. Your child will not hear or feel the sound waves.

Special Instructions

• How you get your child ready depends on what body part needs to be checked. The doctor or nurse will give you special instructions for your child. It is important that you follow these instructions. 
• If your child had a barium or other x-ray study within the last 48 hours, let the doctor know. 

How the test is done

• Your child will go to a special room and will lie on a bed. The room may be a little dark so that the person doing the test can see pictures clearly on a TV screen.  A small amount of lotion will be put on your child’s skin over the area to be checked.
• A transducer, which looks like a microphone, is attached to the ultrasound machine. The person doing the test will gently move the transducer over your child’s skin. This does not hurt. The machine makes pictures that the doctor can look at later. It is important that your child holds very still for these pictures. When the test is done, the lotion will be wiped off.  Please be sure to ask any questions you have.

Results

A doctor who has special training in reading ultrasound pictures, called a radiologist, will look at the pictures at the end of the test. If there are any questions, the radiologist may talk to you before you leave the hospital. A report is sent to your child’s doctor within 24 hours. Your child’s doctor will discuss the results with you.

For more health and wellness information, check out this resource: https://kidshealth.org/ChildrensWi/en/parents