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Early Gender Scans in London

Are you having a boy or a girl?

Our imaging technology is able to determine the sex of the baby with a high certainty from 14 weeks – when you book an early anomaly scan with us 

Book from 14 weeks (£260)

Anomaly scan + Gender scan at London Pregnancy Clinic

From 14-15 weeks, a baby’s gender can typically be determined with approximately 99% accuracy during an ultrasound, depending on the clinician’s expertise. Our clinicians are pleased to offer gender predictions as part of a thorough examination that also assesses your baby’s anatomy and screens for fetal anomalies. In some rare cases, the gender may be visible as early as 13 weeks.

Our clinic prides itself in being a medical screening facility of the highest standard. We believe that during each ultrasound scan we perform, we should extract the maximum information about your baby’s health – that’s why we do not offer stand-alone quick gender scans. 

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3D ultrasound of a fetus at 12 weeks captured on our Early Fetal Scan

How soon can I find out my baby’s gender?

  • Private early pregnancy scan (Early Fetal Scan) at 14 weeks to exclude >100 different structural anomalies and predict the baby’s gender with a high certainty

  • Gender accuracy at 14 weeks is ~95%, from 15 weeks >99%

  • All of our scans are medical and performed by fetal medicine specialists and doctors with extensive NHS and international experience.

  • Same day, evening, and weekend appointments

  • Latest 3D/4D ultrasound technology – complimentary printouts provided

  • 5* rated service on Google, Trustpilot & Doctify

  • Scan report, videos and images sent straight to your smartphone

  • Gender can also be detected with NIPT from 10 weeks (starts at £490)

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Other Early Pregnancy Scans we offer

Viability/Dating Scan 6-9 weeks

The viability scan or dating scan is the scan confirming the normal development of the pregnancy inside the womb. Other aims of this scan are to determine the number of babies (embryos) and to date the pregnancy. At this stage, the embryo is still very small, and it is generally not possible to perform a structural examination until it develops into a human-like fetus. 

Includes pre-NIPT counselling.

Learn more about our viability scan on this dedicated page.

10 Week Anomaly Scan

At 10 weeks your baby finishes its embryological development, and we can assess its health and development. It’s our unique ultrasound examination, which we have developed for the patients who wish to have early reassurance. 10 weeks scans work best in combination with an advanced NIPT.

Learn more about our 10-week scan on this dedicated page.

10 Structural Anomalies we Screen for at 10 weeks

With our expertise and technology, we are able to screen for structural anomalies from 10 weeks (approximate prevalence in the first trimester):

  • Acrania (1:1,000)
  • Alobar Holoprosencephaly (1:1,300)
  • Spina Bifida (1:2,000)
  • Absence of arms, hands, legs or feet (1:2,000)
  • Encephalocele (1:5,000)
  • Exomphalos (Omphalocele) with liver (1:3,500)
  • Amniotic Band Anomaly (1:7,000)
  • Body Stalk Anomaly (1:7,500)
  • Sirenomelia (1:60,000)
  • Conjoined Twins (1% of monochorionic twins)

In comparison, the prevalence of the chromosomal conditions screened for by NIPT:

  • Down’s Syndrome (1:700)
  • Edward’s Syndrome (1:1400)
  • Patau’s Syndrome (1:5000)

If you take the pregnancy test at 12+ weeks we are able to screen for >200 structural fetal anomalies.

Early Fetal Anomaly Scan (Gender from 13 weeks)

The early fetal scan is our signature scan which represents a comprehensive examination of the baby by protocol like the NHS 20 weeks anomaly scan. Understandably at 12-16 weeks the baby is still immature, and some anomalies/problems can be invisible or not developed, however from 12 weeks we can detect at least 50% of all structural anomalies. Most importantly from 12 weeks we can exclude the majority of spina bifida, other severe neural tube defects and 2/3 of severe heart defects.

For parents having our 10-week scan we would recommend the early fetal scan at 15-16 weeks, because some anomalies visible at this stage cannot be detectable at 12 weeks.

Learn more about our early fetal anomaly scan on this dedicated page.

Early Fetal Echocardiography

Early fetal echocardiography or early echo is a special detailed scan for the baby’s heart, which we can perform as early as from 12 weeks.

We highly recommend this scan for all babies with increased nuchal translucency (NT) measurements, fetal anomalies, or other unusual findings detected at the 11-13 weeks scan.

Learn more about early echo.

Why do I need to have an ultrasound scan with NIPT?

Ultrasound is a vital part of fetal screening. The laboratory requires a confirmation of viability and gestational age by the clinic submitting each NIPT.

NIPT is a highly effective screening test for 3 chromosomal anomalies, however it is unable to screen for structural anomalies such as heart or brain defects which are more common and often more serious than Down’s syndrome.

Here at London Pregnancy Clinic, we specialise in early detection of fetal anomalies, the fetal heart and the fetal brain. Visit our scans page to find out which scan you will be having along with NIPT.

10 Weeks Scan and NIPT

10-week scan and NIPT is the best option for early first trimester screening. It is an advanced test that checks for both the most severe structural defects and most common chromosomal abnormalities.

This test is optimal together with the early fetal scan at 16 weeks as a part of our EARLY FETAL REASSURANCE PACKAGE.

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The gender can also be predicted using a cfDNA test – NIPT from £500

Frequently Asked Questions

You have a question? We have an answer.

Learn About our other scans
How accurate is your gender prediction?

Provided there are no abnormalities detected during the medical scan the gender can be predicted with 95% certainty at 14 weeks, and from 15 weeks with >99% accuracy. 

Our clinician’s primary concern is to make sure there are no abnormalities in the development of your baby, in rare circumstances when we suspect an abnormality we may not be able to predict the gender. 

The gender prediction should by viewed as a by-product of the early anomaly scan. We do not offer stand alone gender scans and there is no guarantee/refund if the gender is not predicted. 

HOW CAN YOU DETERMINE THE BABY’S SEX BEFORE 12 WEEKS?

The external genitalia develop relatively late in pregnancy, making it impossible to recognise the sex before 11-12 weeks. On the other hand, genetic (chromosomal) sex is identifiable immediately after conception. The NIPT, based on DNA technology is able to determine the sex from 10 weeks.

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What if I don’t want to know the gender of the baby and only concerned about abnormalities?

We have noticed an increase in parents choosing to not know the sex of their baby, as they wish to leave it as a surprise for birth. We completely understand and support any parents who make this decision.

As with any other organ, abnormalities may be present on external genitalia, which we routinely check for during imaging. While it is impossible to exclude all fetal sex anomalies by ultrasound, during our comprehensive scan, parents may accidentally recognise the fetal sex by themselves on the screen. We are committed to ensuring parents that do not wish to know the sex do not accidentally identify it during the scan and we will ask you and your partner to close your eyes or look away when we are examining identifiable features.

If you wish that we not check the external genitalia at all, please inform us of this before the scan and we will respect your decision.

Do you offer non-medical quick gender scans?

As we are professionals in fetal health, we believe that the most important information for expecting mothers is the knowledge of the health and well-being of their baby, rather than just the gender. However, since we perform a thorough top-to-toe examination of your baby during every scan, we would be able to tell you the sex of the baby if you wish.

If you would like a quick and cheap gender scan, there are plenty of alternative service providers for this.

When is the best time to perform the NIPT scan?

We recommend taking the NIPT along with our comprehensive early anomaly scan as soon as possible – 10 weeks. Early detection of either chromosomal or structural anomalies allows more time in terms of pregnancy management for those conditions.

If you’re unsure about the age of your pregnancy, please allow a couple of days after the 10-week mark to avoid repeat appointments for drawing the bloods.

In theory, NIPT is available from 10-40 weeks, but it is strongly recommended to take the test in the first trimester, as the pregnancy management options in the second trimester are very limited. 

What happens when there is an unexpected finding during the scan?

Most pregnancies result in a healthy baby, however, there is a small chance that certain aspects of the structural and chromosomal development of the pregnancy could be abnormal. Our doctors and sonographers are specially trained to screen for abnormalities. 

In case of an abnormal finding, we will arrange a referral for you to a fetal medicine unit/GP or your midwife for the continuity of your care. Please note, any advice/diagnosis made at our clinic do not replace the advice of your primary or NHS healthcare provider. We strongly recommend to follow through with your 12 and 20 week routine NHS scans.  

Alternatively, if you prefer to be seen by a fetal medicine consultant privately, you can book an appointment with our consultant Obstetrician on the link below (not included in the scan cost.)

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What is the Care Quality Commission’s (CQC) stance on standalone Gender Scans?

The Care Quality Commission is an executive non-departmental public body of the Department of Health and Social Care of the United Kingdom. It was established in 2009 to regulate and inspect health and social care providers in England.

The CQC makes an important distinction of medical and non-medical pregnancy scans – at London Pregnancy Clinic we are proud to offer diagnostic scans only, without standalone ‘entertainment scans’ such as Gender Scan and 3D/4D Scans. You can read more on the CQC classification in the link below.  

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Can the gender be detected later on in the pregnancy?

The sex of your baby can be determined during any scan you do with us from 13 weeks with no additional cost.

Many parents wish to know the sex of their baby for a variety of reasons. This may be reliably evident from 12 weeks, but in any case, we are happy to identify your baby’s gender as early as possible. You can find out your baby’s sex accurately from 14 weeks with our early fetal scan, conducted by experienced doctors. However, in most cases, the sex can be determined between 15-18 weeks.

Please note that while ultrasound is very accurate in gender recognition, it may not always be 100% reliable.

What is a genital tubercle?

Between 8 and 9 weeks into pregnancy, the development of the genital tubercle begins in fetuses, gradually maturing into what will become the penis or clitoris. At the outset, this makes the fetal gender appear indistinguishable due to the presence of the genital tubercle (watch our video of what a genital tubercle looks like on ultrasound). By the 13th to 14th weeks, however, distinct signs of gender start to become visible as the external genitalia form.

It is possible to identify fetal gender through scans as early as the 11th to 12th weeks, although the precision of such early detection hinges on factors like the skill level of the technician, the quality of the ultrasound equipment, and the fetus’s positioning. Opting to wait a bit longer can often result in a more accurate assessment of the baby’s gender.

Do you want to know more about our first trimester scans?

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