3D printing has showed how severe an airway risk in a fetus was in order to make clinical decisions at University of Michigan's C.S. Mott Children's Hospital.

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.
"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).
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"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.
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The case is outlined in the journal Pediatrics.
Source-IANS