Clinic offers expectant mothers baby scans that can be downloaded to their iPod

But new technology is making the experience much clearer for expectant mothers.

They can now download highdefinition video pictures of their unborn baby to their mobile phone or iPod - and send them to friends and family in seconds.

Scroll down for more...

An enhanced scanning service, launched yesterday at the private Portland Hospital in London, even allows mothers-to-be to have the 40-minute scan in their lunch hour.

At a cost of £120, it is a leap forward from the service provided by the NHS.

Most women make do with print- outs produced by twodimensional ultrasound equipment, which show a black-andwhite, blurred image of their unborn baby.

The new service uses "four-dimensional" equipment, which works in a similar way to a traditional scanner but directs ultrasound waves at the womb from multiple angles.

This ensures the scanner has enough information to create a moving image when the waves are reflected back.

Yesterday, doctors said the scans could improve the bonding process between a mother and baby, as well as helping detect potential defects such as heart problems which can be corrected in the womb.

Pranav Pandya, joint medical director of the Portland's maternal and foetal well-being centre and professor of foetal medicine at University College London, said: "This represents the greatest advance in scanning technology in terms of any defects that we can detect.

"It also gives the additional benefit of images which can increase the bonding process and track a baby's development."

The 4D scans - which have been given the nickname "iSprog" - can be carried out at 12 weeks and downloaded onto a CD or DVD, or made available on a secure Internet link so mothers can share the pictures with family and friends through their MP3 player, email or mobile phone.

The images released by the Portland yesterday were created at around 24 weeks, when the baby's features are far clearer.

A spokesman for the hospital, whose clients have included Victoria Beckham and Sarah Ferguson, said: "The technology allows women to visit in their lunch hour and later relive the moment of seeing their baby with colleagues, partners and family members.

"The old-fashioned baby scan print-out is a thing of the past. Loved ones around the world could also benefit as scans could even be sent to mobile phones or computers.

"In this day and age families are spread out and this could help bring people together."

Pregnant women normally receive two free scans on the NHS, the first of which is carried out at 12 weeks.

Scans are vital as they enable doctors to ensure the unborn baby is developing normally.

At six to eight weeks, a scan can confirm and date a pregnancy and ensure the foetus is alive by looking for a heartbeat.

At 10 to 14 weeks, it can check for a multiple pregnancy and assess the risk of Down's syndrome. At 20 to 23 weeks, it can detect spina bifida and other possible abnormalities.