by 
The Curious Bag
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According to the Baby Center Medical Advisory Board, an ultrasound is a noninvasive diagnostic test that uses sound waves to create a visual image of your baby, placenta, and uterus, as well as other pelvic organs. Ultrasound has been fine-tuned to create clear, three-dimensional images of fetuses in utero.
History
In 1955, Ian Donald, a surgeon, discovered that ultrasound machines could be used to see through body tissues, each of which give off a unique "wave." By the 1970s, ultrasound had become a routine procedure for pregnant women.
Uses
Ultrasound is used to determine a fetus's heart rate, organ development, and bone structure. It can also determine the number of fetuses, and even a fetus's due date.
3D
3D ultrasound creates an image nearly as detailed as a real picture. Some doctors utilize it to rule out defects such as cleft palate and spina bifida.
4D
4D ultrasound depicts 3D ultrasound images in real time. This allows parents to observe their fetus as though watching a movie.
Risks
According to Drs. William and Martha Sears, pediatricians and the authors of "The Birth Book," when sound waves bombard tissues at high frequencies, they shake up the molecules, heat them, and produce microscopic gas bubbles called cavitation. Whether this procedure damages the cell is unknown.
Source:
Baby Center: Ultrasound What You Need to Know
"The Baby Book"; William Sears, M.D., Martha Sears, M.D.; 2003.
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