A blind mother was able to see and feel her baby for the first time despite the baby being unborn thanks to a 3D-printed ultrasound.
Taylor Ellis was born with glaucoma and has very little vision.
When she went in for her 20-week scan, she was unable to see her baby and was left in tears because she was desperate to see what her baby looked like.
When doctors found out about the incident, they 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 also has vision problems, received the special scan in the post 1 week later.
But this time, they could feel the face of the baby, and it was all smiles from there on.
Rosalie, the baby of Taylor, is now 10 weeks old.
Taylor said that the 3D printing technology, which is mostly used in making complex parts and things, has helped them a lot and called the technology as “life-changing.”
The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, USA, usually uses 3D printing technology to create models of unborn babies that have spina bifida. This type of tech allows surgeons to get a clear image of the baby’s spine and know if they need to carry out an in-womb surgery.
An ultrasound sonographer at the hospital found out about the news, he said that this tech could be used to help blind parents see their babies.
This is the first hospital in the world that offers the service.
Taylor, a stay-at-home-mother, from Cockeysville in Maryland talked about pregnancy and the fact that she was blind.
She 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 that she was really excited.
She felt the face of the baby and saw her.
Recalling the moment, she said that it was so heart-warming. She also showed off the scan to her other daughters and her parents through video conference.