At a Glance
| Also called | Fetal MRI scan, foetal MRI, MRI in pregnancy, fetal brain MRI, antenatal MRI |
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| Usual timing | Second or third trimester, most often from about 20 weeks, as your obstetrician or fetal medicine specialist advises |
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| Reported by | Dr. Avinash Bansal and Dr. Vaishnavi Bansal, MD (Radiology), FMF (UK) certified |
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| Scanner | Fujifilm ECHELON Smart 1.5T MRI, with in-scanner music |
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| Contrast | None - gadolinium dye is not used for fetal MRI |
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| Radiation | None - MRI uses a magnet and radio waves |
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| Preparation | Usually none; empty your bladder just before; bring all pregnancy scan reports; our team confirms the exact preparation on WhatsApp |
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| Scan time | Usually about 30-45 minutes, longer if the baby is very active or for twins |
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| Report | Most reports the same day, sent to your WhatsApp |
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| Price | Confirmed on WhatsApp before your visit |
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| Hours | Mon-Sat 8am-10pm, Sun 8am-5pm |
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| Access | Ground floor, step-free |
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What a fetal MRI shows
Ultrasound (sonography or USG) is the main test for a baby in the womb and answers most questions on its own. Fetal MRI is a problem-solving test used after a detailed ultrasound: it is not blocked by the baby's skull bones or the mother's body build, and it shows soft tissue, such as the developing brain, in fine detail. It adds to the ultrasound rather than replacing it, and is most often used to look at the baby's:
- Brain: enlarged fluid spaces (ventriculomegaly), the corpus callosum (the bridge between the two halves of the brain), the back of the brain (cerebellum and posterior fossa), the folds on the brain surface, and signs of bleeding (haemorrhage) or injury.
- Spine: the level and extent of spina bifida and the related changes in the brain.
- Chest: a diaphragmatic hernia (a gap in the muscle between the chest and the tummy), including an estimate of lung size, and lumps in the lungs.
- Abdomen and kidneys: bowel, kidney and bladder problems and lumps in the tummy, especially when there is little fluid around the baby.
- Neck: swellings that could affect breathing at birth.
When doctors request a fetal MRI
Fetal MRI is not a routine or screening test. An obstetrician or fetal medicine specialist requests it in the second or third trimester, usually after the anomaly (TIFFA or level 2) scan or a later ultrasound. Before about 18-20 weeks the baby's organs are very small, and some brain features are clearer later in pregnancy, so your specialist decides the week: tell us the week they asked for when you book. Common reasons include:
- The ultrasound shows, or cannot rule out, a finding in the baby's brain, spine, chest or abdomen.
- Ultrasound views are limited, for example by very little fluid around the baby, the baby's position, the mother's body build or scars on the tummy.
- A known finding needs more detail before counselling and planning the birth, including which hospital and children's specialists should be involved.
- Twins who share one placenta have had a complication, and the specialist wants to check a baby's brain.
How to prepare
Preparation is simple. Our team confirms the exact preparation when you book on WhatsApp.
- Most women can eat and drink as usual. Empty your bladder just before the scan so that you are comfortable lying down.
- Bring your doctor's prescription, ideally stating the question they want answered, and all your pregnancy scan reports, especially the anomaly scan; bring the images on a CD or link if you have them.
- Tell us before booking if you have a pacemaker, cochlear implant, any other implant or metal in the body, have ever had metal fragments in the eye (for example from grinding or welding work), or have had surgery. Some pacemakers and MR-conditional implants can be scanned under supervision, following the device's conditions; others cannot. Bring your device card.
- Tell us if you wear a medicine patch on the skin, as some contain metal and may need to be removed for the scan.
- Wear loose clothing without metal zips, hooks or buttons, and leave jewellery at home.
- Tell us if you are expecting twins or find closed spaces difficult, so that enough time is set aside.
What happens during the scan
After a short safety checklist, you lie on the MRI table on your back or tilted onto your left side, with pillows for support. A soft, lightweight coil rests over your tummy without pressing on the baby. You wear ear protection, can listen to music, and hold a call bell throughout.
Fast sequences take each picture in about a second, so most of the baby's movements do not blur it, and any blurred set is repeated. You may be asked to hold your breath briefly for some pictures. The scan usually takes about 30-45 minutes, longer if the baby is very active. If you feel dizzy, breathless or unwell, press the call bell: turning further onto your side usually helps.
A fetal MRI is a planned test, not an emergency test. If you have bleeding, leaking fluid, severe tummy pain, reduced baby movements, a severe headache, blurred vision or fits, do not wait for a scan: go straight to the labour ward or a hospital emergency department first, and let your obstetrician know.
Is MRI safe in pregnancy?
MRI uses a strong magnet and radio waves; there is no X-ray radiation. Fetal MRI is done at 1.5T, the field strength commonly used in pregnancy, keeping to the scanner's standard safety limits for body warming. You wear ear protection, and the fluid around the baby softens the scanner noise. MRI without contrast is not known to harm the baby, and follow-up studies of children scanned before birth have not found harm to their hearing.
No contrast (dye) injection is used. Gadolinium, the contrast used for some other MRI scans, crosses the placenta and is avoided in pregnancy, so no kidney function (creatinine) report is needed. Fetal MRI is done only when your doctor feels the answer will help. It is not usually done in the first three months, because the baby is still too small for it to add useful information.
What a fetal MRI cannot show
Fetal MRI answers specific questions, and its findings are always read together with your ultrasound scans and your specialist's assessment.
- It does not replace ultrasound. The heart, bones, fingers and toes, and blood flow are usually better seen on ultrasound, and the fetal echo remains the test for the heart.
- It does not test the baby's chromosomes or genes.
- A very active baby, twins, or difficulty lying still can blur the pictures; occasionally a repeat scan is suggested.
- Some findings become clear only later in pregnancy or after birth, so a normal fetal MRI cannot rule out every problem.
After the scan
Our radiologist reads the MRI alongside your ultrasound reports and your doctor's question. Most reports the same day, sent to your WhatsApp. Share the report with your obstetrician or fetal medicine specialist, who will explain the result and plan next steps, such as a follow-up scan, a meeting with a children's specialist, or where the baby should be born. Not every finding is serious.
Fetal MRI at AV Scan
- Reported by our radiologists, Dr. Avinash Bansal and Dr. Vaishnavi Bansal, both MD (Radiology) and FMF (UK) certified. Dr. Avinash Bansal's expertise includes fetal medicine.
- The same radiologists perform pregnancy ultrasound here, including the anomaly (TIFFA) scan and fetal echo, so if your earlier scans were done here, the MRI can be read directly against them.
- Fujifilm ECHELON Smart 1.5T MRI, designed for quieter scanning, with in-scanner music.
- The exact price is confirmed on WhatsApp before your visit. Cashless with most major insurers and TPAs; empanelled for CGHS, ECHS and MJPJAY.
- Open Monday to Saturday 8am-10pm and Sunday 8am-5pm; ground floor and step-free, near Shivaji Park and Siddhivinayak Temple.
