At what gestational age is the first fetal heartbeat typically detected via ultrasound?

The first fetal heartbeat is typically detectable by ultrasound around 6 to 7 weeks of gestation. At this stage, the developing embryo has formed a heart, and it begins to beat. An ultrasound performed during this timeframe can show the flickering of the heartbeat, providing important confirmation of viable intrauterine pregnancy.

Detecting the heartbeat earlier than this, around 4 to 5 weeks, may not be reliable since the embryo is still in the very early stages of development, and the heart may not have developed sufficiently to produce measurable pulses. By 8 to 9 weeks, while the heartbeat can certainly be observed easily, it is not the earliest point at which it can be detected, as it becomes increasingly prominent and clearer at this later stage. By 10 to 12 weeks, the fetal heartbeat is usually well-established, but again, it is not as early as the 6 to 7-week mark where initial detection occurs. Thus, 6 to 7 weeks is the critical period for the first detection of the fetal heartbeat through ultrasound.