A blind mom, Taylor Ellis, was able to see her unborn baby, thanks to doctors who gave her a 3D-printed ultrasound scan of her fetus.
Upset that she could not see her baby
The mom of three was born with glaucoma and can only see very little. She cried when she went for an ultrasound scan during her 20th week of pregnancy and could not see her baby. The doctors found out that she was upset, so they did a special ultrasound. Then, through that scan, they made a 3D print out of Ellis' unborn baby girl.
Both the 26-year-old mom and her husband, Jeremy, are visually impaired. One week after the scan, the couple received the special scan results. It was a dream come true because they could see their baby's face.
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Ellis said that the 3D-printing technology, which is most commonly used to make car parts, has been "life-changing" for her. Her newborn daughter is now ten weeks old.
A new use for the 3D-printed ultrasound
Usually, John Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore uses that technology to make models of spina bifida in unborn babies. It is used by surgeons to see a clear image of the babies' spines so that they know if they need to do in-womb surgery. An ultrasound sonographer found out about the technology and suggested that they use it for blind parents to see their growing babies while in the womb.
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The stay-at-home mom from Cockeysville in Maryland said that she always thought what her baby would look like while inside her tummy. She was saddened because she would not have the opportunity like other seeing pregnant mothers. She explained that her sight was not that bad when she had her first two children. She was able to see them in a 2D ultrasound.
Excited to see her baby
Ellis could not contain her excitement when she received the 3D ultrasound. She felt that it was so heartwarming because she had the realization that it was her baby's face. She showed off the scan to her daughters and her parents via video chat.
Ellis also said that while her pregnancy has been so scary, it was also exciting the whole way through. She explained that she just wanted a special moment really bad.
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3D printing was first developed in the 1980s for use in medicine. Using a computer program and a liquid polymer or metal stream, a 3D model could be produced. It has been used for prosthetics and dental implants, as well as for surgical tools and anatomical models.
Now, doctors use it to let blind parents see their unborn children. Thanks to modern advancement, visually impaired parents can now take a glimpse of their little one as they wait for her arrival to the world.
