This course is based on ISUOG's Guidelines on the role of ultrasound in the prediction of spontaneous preterm birth. The aim of course is to evaluate the role of ultrasound in the prediction of preterm birth in asymptomatic women and women with symptoms of preterm labour, with the goal of preventing prematurity and improving the perinatal and long-term outcome of the infant.
Overview
Course name: ATC3 First trimester Protocols
Duration of course: 10 hours (+ supplementary materials)
Length of access for each course: 12 months
Certificates: 10 CME credits and ISUOG Certificate of Completion
Access: Online learning, learn at your own pace.
Education level: Advanced
Program language: English
Suitable for: Practicing obstetricians and gynecologists, trainees, fellows, residents, midwives, nurses, radiographers, sonographers, GPs and healthcare professionals providing antenatal care and performing ultrasound scans.
Why do this course?
A first-trimester ultrasound between 11 and 14 weeks is a critical component of prenatal care, offering several benefits that aid in pregnancy management. This scan allows healthcare providers to confirm fetal viability by detecting cardiac activity and assess plurality, distinguishing between singleton and multiple pregnancies. It ensures that the pregnancy is appropriately located within the uterus. It also ensures accurate pregnancy dating, reducing discrepancies that could affect the timing of interventions and monitoring later in pregnancy.
Another key purpose of this ultrasound is screening for chromosomal abnormalities like trisomy 21 (Down syndrome) through nuchal translucency (NT) measurement and combining it with maternal serum markers. Major structural anomalies, such as anencephaly, abdominal wall defects, and severe heart malformations, can be identified early, allowing for further testing, timely interventions or counselling. Cell-free DNA test also offers an opportunity to screen earlier than 11-14 weeks. Additionally, screening for preterm pre-eclampsia is performed by measuring maternal factors, uterine artery Doppler, and blood pressure, with evidence suggesting that early aspirin initiation may reduce the risk of this complication.
Course description
This course, based on the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics and Gynecology (ISUOG) guidelines, offers healthcare professionals structured guidance for conducting comprehensive 11–14 week scans. It emphasizes best practices for placental assessment, anomaly screening, and risk stratification for complications. The goal is to enhance the reliability of these early assessments, ensuring better pregnancy outcomes through early detection and evidence-based care.
Contributors to this course
Course contributors: Renato Ximenes, Gábor Szabó, Angela Ranzini, Meetan Preet, Andrew Cowling
Course materials: Professor Aris Papageorghiou, Professor Jon Hyett, Professor Katia Bilardo, Professor Bernard Benoit, Professor Liona Poon, Professor Kypros Nicolaides, Professor Simon Meagher, Professor Reem Abu-Rustum, Dr. Mar Gill, Professor Karl Kagan, Dr. Bijoy Balakrishnan, Professor Mary Norton, Professor Lynn Chitty, Professor Alexandros Sotiriadis, Professor Fatima Crispi, Dr. Stefan Verlohren, Dr. Sue Walker, Dr. Alexander Weichert, Dr. Daniel Rolnik, Professor Rabih Chaoui, Dr. Argyro Syngelak, Dr. Francesco D'Antonio, Professor Yuval Yaron
Learning objectives
- Understand how the different ISUOG Practice Guidelines are all applied in the first trimester.
- Understand how to measure the crown-rump length (CRL) and recognize the impact of accurate dating on screening results.
- Appreciate how to accurately assess normal of fetal anatomy between 11-14 weeks.
- Demonstrate an awareness of ‘always detectable’, ‘potentially detectable’ and ‘never detectable’ anomalies in the first trimester.
- Recognize the difference between normal and abnormal first trimester anatomy through varied case presentations throughout the course.
- Gain confidence assessing the nuchal translucency, and recognizing soft markers when screening for trisomies.
- Understand which pregnancies are at higher risk of Placenta Accreta Spectrum disorders based on first trimester findings.
- Appreciate what genetic testing is relevant to first trimester ultrasound findings.
- Understand what fetal anomalies can be recognized before 11 weeks.
Key questions
- What fetal anomalies should always be detected in the first trimester?
- What technique should be used to measure the nuchal translucency measurement correctly?
- What biomarkers increase sensitivity for preeclampsia screening?
- What first trimester findings should be of concern for developing Placenta Accreta Spectrum disorders?\
- What technique should be used to measure the uterine artery when screening for preeclampsia?
- Where is first trimester screening headed? What can be learned before 11 weeks?
- What is the role and advantages of a Pre-NT or a 10 weeks scan?
Prices
Prices for ISUOG members
| ISUOG member | £75 |
| ISUOG member - with trainee/sonographer discount | £40 |
| ISUOG member in middle-income setting | £40 |
| ISUOG member in lower-resource setting | £10 |
Prices for ISUOG non-members*
| Non-member | £85 |
| Non-member - with trainee/sonographer discount | £50 |
| Non-member in middle-income setting | £50 |
| Non-member in lower-resource setting | £15 |
* Prices for non-members does NOT include ISUOG membership. Join as an ISUOG member first for discounted prices to our online training courses (allow 24 hours for systems to update).
Trainees/residents and sonographers/radiographers
Proof of status: All trainees, residents, sonographers and radiographers will need to submit proof of their trainee, resident, sonographer or radiographer status by way of a letter from their Department or Institution. The letter must be in English and dated within the last 3 months and submitted by email to [email protected] along with the name of the course you wish to purchase.
Sonographer definition: A sonographer is a non-physician medical imaging professional who performs diagnostic medical sonography, or diagnostic ultrasound.
Trainee/resident definition: A trainee is a medical professional who is not yet fully qualified or practicing without supervision within their chosen specialty and in accordance with the relevant national regulatory authorities; a resident is in residency training which leads to specially or subspecialty) certification.
Low resource country discount
ISUOG's mission is to disseminate the highest quality education to the broadest audience. To support this aim, we have ensured that attendees based in, currently residing in, or currently working in low resource countries have the lowest purchase costs. ISUOG's low resource country list can be viewed here https://www.research4life.org/access/eligibility/.
No other discounts can be used in conjunction with this rate. These rates will appear automatically in the ISUOG Academy based on your membership details, or registered details. Please make sure these details are up to date.
Middle income country discount
ISUOG's mission is to disseminate the highest quality education to the broadest audience. To support this aim, we have ensured that attendees based in, currently residing in, or currently working in middle income countries have access to reduced purchase costs. ISUOG has identified the following countries whose economies fall within the middle income category as defined by the World Bank: American Samoa, Argentina, Brazil, Bulgaria, China, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic , India, Indonesia, Iran, Kazakhstan, Malaysia, Mexico, Philippines, Russia, Serbia, South Africa, Thailand, Turkey, Turkmenistan.
No other discounts can be used in conjunction with this rate. These rates will appear automatically in the ISUOG Academy based on your membership details, or registered details. Please make sure these details are up to date.
Further information
Accreditation and CME Credits
CME credits
The European Accreditation Council (EACCME) accredits this online course for Continuing Medical Education (CME). European CME credits (ECMEC®) will be awarded on successful completion of this course. Through an agreement between the European Union of Medical Specialists (UEMS) and the American Medical Association (AMA), physicians may convert EACCME credits to an equivalent number of AMA PRA Category 1 CreditsTM. Information on the process to convert EACCME credit to AMA credit can be found at www.ama-assn.org/go/internationalcme.
CME Subcommittee
The CME Subcommittee oversees the CME requirements for our CME accredited courses.
Conflict of Interest
No commercial support has been accepted related to the development or publication of this course. This course underwent peer review in line with the standards of editorial integrity and publication ethics maintained by the International Society of Ultrasound in Obstetrics & Gynecology (ISUOG). Conflicts of interest have been identified and resolved in accordance with EACCME guidelines.
You can find out how we adhere to the essential criteria for EACCME accreditation requirements here.
Technical Requirements
You can study on your phone, tablet or laptop. To participate and access this activity you will need a good internet connection and an up to date browser:
- MS Internet Explorer 11 (Not including compatibility modes)
- MS Edge
- Mozilla Firefox version 60 Extended Support Release (ESR)
- Google Chrome 73
- Safari 10 auf OS X
- Mobile Browser Android >4 and iOS > 9
- Current versions of Adobe Reader plugin
Terms and Conditions
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You can find our Refund Policy here.
You must be an ISUOG member to get a discounted price and additional resources; or simply subscribe to our newsletter to access the Basic Training Online Program at the non-member price.
Please note: You will get a receipt from the online shop after purchase which can be used for your accounts and expenses, we do not offer additional invoices for ecommerce products.
Obstetrics – first trimester scan course list
Other courses in this series:
- ATC3: First trimester - heart
- ATC3: First trimester - brain and CNS
- ATC3: First trimester - face and neck
- ATC3: First trimester - gastrointestinal and urinary
- ATC3: First trimester - skeletal
- ATC3: First trimester - cervix, placenta and adnexa