13-Week Pregnancy Ultrasound to End in Netherlands

The government will stop the experimental early scan after advisers found unnecessary referrals and missed abnormalities.

The Netherlands will end its experimental 13-week pregnancy ultrasound programme on January 1, 2028. The decision follows concerns about false alarms and missed abnormalities. However, it does not end the usual 20-week ultrasound.

Health Minister Hermans announced the change in a letter to the Tweede Kamer, the Dutch lower house of parliament. The announcement appears in coverage from NOS, the Dutch public broadcaster. The withdrawal will take effect in 2028, rather than immediately.

The early scan has formed part of a scientific study since 2021. Its purpose was to give parents more time after doctors found a possible physical abnormality. That could mean preparing for a child needing extensive care or considering an abortion.

However, the Gezondheidsraad, the Dutch Health Council, advised against making the scan a permanent part of prenatal care. The council found unnecessary referrals and relatively many missed abnormalities. It concluded that the benefits currently do not outweigh the disadvantages.

Why the government is ending the early scan

The council’s findings point to two different problems with the screening. Some results led to referrals that proved unnecessary. Meanwhile, the scan failed to detect relatively many abnormalities.

A referral can leave parents waiting for further tests and answers. Yet a reassuring result can also fail to identify a problem. These concerns shaped the council’s advice against keeping the scan as a routine service.

The council recommended further research into improving the early ultrasound. However, Hermans rejected continuing to offer it through another study. The minister wants to avoid unnecessary anxiety when a result turns out to be a false alarm.

Hermans wrote in her parliamentary letter: “… blijken er op dit moment ook veel nadelen te zitten aan het opnieuw in onderzoeksverband aanbieden van de 13-wekenecho”. This means there are currently many disadvantages to offering the scan again as part of research.

The decision therefore goes beyond refusing to make the programme permanent. It also rules out continuing the current offer through further research. That distinction matters because the existing programme operates as a study, rather than a permanent screening service.

For the council’s advice and other health recommendations, readers can consult its official website. However, the announcement does not give a detailed timetable for each clinic’s final appointments.

The 20-week ultrasound is a separate screening offer

The early ultrasound was introduced alongside the usual 20-week scan. It did not replace that later appointment. Likewise, ending the early programme does not mean ending prenatal ultrasound screening altogether.

The two appointments take place at different stages of pregnancy. The reason for the early offer was time: parents could learn about possible problems sooner. However, the council found that this benefit did not outweigh the current drawbacks.

For parents, the distinction is practical as well as medical. The early study is separate from the usual 20-week scan. Still, anyone unsure about their own schedule should check with their maternity care provider.

The findings concern the screening programme, rather than every individual scan result. They do not establish that a particular person’s result was wrong. Therefore, parents with concerns about an earlier result should discuss it with their clinician.

What this means for people living in the Netherlands

The change affects pregnant people considering the early scan within the Dutch screening programme. The key date is January 1, 2028.

If you are pregnant now, ask your midwife which screening appointments apply to your pregnancy. Explain any concerns about the early scan or a previous result. Also ask who will contact you if further tests become necessary.

If your pregnancy will cross the withdrawal date, check the arrangements directly with your provider. The report does not explain how clinics will handle appointments around that boundary. Therefore, do not assume that an existing booking settles your eligibility.

The announcement gives no new patient fee or replacement screening offer. Before booking any scan outside the programme, ask about its purpose and cost. Also check whether your health insurer covers it.

If you need information in English, tell your midwife before the appointment. Ask for an explanation of possible results and the next steps. The end date changes the programme, but individual questions still belong with your care team.