A blurry blob on a hospital screen is the first view most expectant parents get of their child.
But new state-of-the-art imaging software is now able to map a fetus in incredible detail.
The software takes a conventional 3D ultrasound scan and adds color, skin texture, lighting and shadows.
The technology gives unparalleled clarity and allows parents to see the face of their child before it is born.
There is also a 4D version which means mothers and fathers are able to see their baby smiling and kicking in the womb in real time.
They could even turn it into a DVD.
The software is allowing doctors to detect problems in a fetus much sooner than before. It also removes background details that can often obscure the fetus.
It has been developed by Dr Bernard Benoit of the Princes Grace Hospital, Monaco.
He is known around the world for his focus on introducing innovative ultrasound technologies.
The keen photographer specializes in detecting malformations in a fetus within the first trimester.
The images are far more detailed than the grainy 2D images usually offered by the NHS.
Many hospitals offer paid-for 3D images but the NHS and the Health Protection Agency warned expectant parents against getting unnecessary scans simply to get the souvenir pictures.
NOW – let’s put all discussion to bed, once and for all! (Ed.)
Written by a reporter and published by The Daily Mail ~ March 29, 2013.
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