The images are irresistible, and there's no mistaking what they show: sharp renderings of a sleeping baby's face--except in this case it's not a newborn, but a fetus.
Three-dimensional ultrasound is one of the latest technological additions to the obstetrician's office, and it's winning fans as parents-to-be clamor to picture their offspring in utero.
"Patients love it," says Delores Pretorius, a professor of radiology at UC San Diego, and a pioneer in the technology.
It's easy to see why. The photos show babies sucking their thumbs or sleeping with a tiny hand draped over an eye. They provide a look at profiles and facial features so clear that parents claim to recognize family traits.
"You can certainly get some very beautiful pictures of the fetal face and body," says Barry Goldberg, director of diagnostic ultrasound at Thomas Jefferson University in Philadelphia.
Anyone who has struggled to fathom an unborn child's image on a fuzzy, two-dimensional ultrasound picture will appreciate the vivid details and quality in this new type of photo.
"This is like the difference between seeing your baby in the doorway backlit where you can't quite see the features and putting a light on the baby so suddenly it's not a shadow," says Craig Winkel, chairman of obstetrics and gynecology at Georgetown University Medical Center.
But if the 3-D images have surprising clarity, their medical value is still something of a blur. Skeptics see them as little more than a clever way to attract patients. "I have not seen the utility of these images," says John Larsen, professor of obstetrics, gynecology and genetics at George Washington University Hospital. "They're cute at medical conventions. They have good marketing potential, as in, 'Hey, lady, give me some cash, and I'll take a picture of your baby.' But in truth, they don't give a whole lot of medical information."
Even those who have used the technology caution about over-promising what it can provide. "We're still working on figuring out where this fits in the big picture," adds Ulrike Maria Hamper, director of the division of ultrasound at Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine in Baltimore.
Ultrasound--the ability to use sound waves to "see" inside the body--was introduced experimentally to obstetrics in the late 1960s. It has gradually become a standard part of prenatal care. Today an estimated 80% of expectant women in the United States have ultrasound exams, according to the American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology.
One of the most essential tools in the operating room, the patient monitor is a large device that records and interprets the vital signs of a patient during medical care or treatment.
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It is interesting to see that although technology and medical goes hand in hand. However, technology sometimes back fires as described here in this blog. However, there might be different point of views for this.
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