"A team comprised of obstetricians, radiologists and engineers have built an “open” MRI scanner that allows a mother-to-be to fit fully into the machine and give birth there. The birth was the culmination of a two-year project by the research team. MRI uses powerful magnets to magnetise some atoms in the body which makes them detectable to radio waves. Importantly, it can make cross-section images of a subject, showing intricate detail of soft tissue and bones in the body.
The team built a special “open MRI” scanner, a new type of machine whose open structure had the necessary space for the mother to give birth. The new machine will enable the researchers to study in greater detail how the baby moves through the mother’s pelvis and down the birth canal – issues that have long been studied and debated.
Among other benefits, it should help researchers to understand why about 15 percent of pregnant women need a Caesarian section because the baby does not progress properly into the birth canal." [www.thelocal.de Published: 7 Dec 10 14:04 CET]
For some reason thelocal.de's article had the picture upside down, as if the woman was giving birth on her stomach. Unless she were on hands and knees I don't see that being correct. For the image in my blog post, I got my markers out and coloured it in, to make it pretty ^_^
2 comments:
On all fours is actually a much better position. On their backs goes against gravity. The majority of C-sections are due to maternity hospital procedures rushing labour. My wife published a book covering bits of it, mammydiaries.ie
"On all fours is actually a much better position."
Yes, that's why I mentioned it, but it doesn't seem feasible inside an MRI torus.
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