3D Printed Model of the Head of a Fetus Saved Newborn's Life

At University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital in the US, a 3D printing model of the head of a fetus recently helped doctors save the life of a newborn who had developed a life threatening complication.

Megan Thompson was about 30 weeks pregnant when an ultrasound showed a walnut-sized lump on her tiny, unborn child's face that could prevent him from breathing after birth.

US Foundation Helps French Boy Get 'Superhero' Hand by Using 3D Printing Technology
The advantage of the hand is its fun aspects which can make the child feel like he is dressed up in a costume instead of wearing a medical prothesis.

Thompson was referred to the C.S. Mott Children's Hospital where doctors had to decide whether the baby could be delivered safely through a Caesarean-section or needed a rare and complex lifesaving procedure.

Using a specialized MRI of the fetus in the womb, doctors were able to use a 3D printer to print models of the fetus face, helping determine exactly where and how dangerous the soft tissue mass was.

"Based on the images we had, it was unclear whether the mass would block Conan's (baby's) airway after birth. The 3D printed model of the fetus allowed us to actually see in person what it looked like and have something in our hands to help us decide the best way to care for the baby," said senior author Glenn Green from C.S. Mott.

3D Printing Technology in Shanghai Helps Separate Conjoined Twin Sisters in China
Doctors used 3D printing to better understand the anatomical structure and carry out the simulated surgery for separating the conjoined twins.

"This is the first case we are aware of that 3D printing has helped show how severe an airway risk in a fetus was in order to make clinical decisions," Green said.

The extra information gained from the 3D printed models helped doctors determine that Conan would not need what's called an Ex Utero Intrapartum Treatment Procedure (EXIT).

New 3D Printing can Produce Five Different Shapes of Medical Tablets and Capsules
The new method of 3D printing uses hot melts extrusion in the creation of otherwise difficult to produce odd shaped medicinal tablets.

The EXIT procedure requires a partial delivery of the baby while it remains attached by its umbilical cord to the placenta so that a surgeon can establish an airway to allow the baby to breathe. Instead, Conan was born via a scheduled Caesarean-section.

"I was terrified when I found out there was a possibility my baby might not be able to breathe after birth," recalled Thompson, who is from Wayne county, Michigan.

3D Printing Makes Heart Surgery Safer for Kids
Three-dimensional printing technology can make surgery safer for children with congenital heart disease and reduce the duration, as well as the number of invasive procedures, required.

"Hearing him cry after he was born was the most incredible, emotional experience because I knew he was okay," she said.

The case is outlined in the journal Pediatrics.

Source-IANS