Being blind can rob one of the joys of seeing the beauty of nature and simple everyday things that most of us take for granted. But it could not prevent a blind mom from ‘seeing’ her unborn baby—thanks to a 3D-printed ultrasound.
Visually Impaired Mom
She was born with glaucoma and had only a little vision, so when she went for her 20-week scan and could not see her baby, she was obviously very upset. So the doctors conducted a special ultrasound and made a 3D print out of her unborn daughter’s face. 26-year-old Taylor and her husband Jeremy, who is also visually impaired, were sent the special scan a week later and they were able to feel the baby’s face which was the best thing ever for them.
Life-Changing
Baby Rosalie is now ten weeks old, and mum-of-three Taylor said the 3D printing technology which is used to make car parts is a life-changing experience for them. This technology is used by Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore to create models of unborn babies with spina bifida.
The surgeons are allowed to get a clear image of the spines of babies to see if they need in-womb surgery. So when an ultrasound sonographer there in the same hospital got to know about their condition, he suggested it to help blind parents and is thought to be the first hospital in the world to offer the service.
Groundbreaking Technology
Taylor, a stay-at-home-mother, from Cockeysville in Maryland, said, “I always thought about what my baby would look like and was always saddened to know I wouldn’t have the same opportunity as seeing mothers. “My sight wasn’t as bad with my first two children, so I could see the 2D ultrasound.
When she received the 3D ultrasound, Taylor said, “I had the realization that this was my baby’s face, it was so heart-warming. I showed off my scan to my daughters and my parents on video chat.” Proud mom Taylor, added: “This pregnancy has been so scary but so exciting the whole way through, I just wanted this [moment] really really bad.”