Computer scientists from the
University of East Anglia are working to create a virtual birthing simulator
that will help doctors and midwives prepare for unusual or dangerous births. The
new programme will take into account factors such as the shape of the mother’s
body and the positioning of the baby to provide patient-specific birth
predictions.
The simulation software will see
ultra-sound data used to re-create a geometric model of a baby’s skull and body
in 3D graphics as well as the mother’s body and pelvis. Programmers are also
taking into account the force from the mother pushing during labour and are
even modelling a ‘virtual’ midwife’s hands which can interact with the baby’s
head.
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