I Love Science! MRI Scan Shows Childbirth in Action
How cool is this? Berlin’s Charité Hospital has developed an open MRI scan that let them take pictures of childbirth. It’s the first time that anyone has been able to see what’s happening on the inside during labor and delivery as it happens.
What’s it good for? According to the German news report:
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. The hospital’s Institute for Radiology and Obstetrics Clinic will work closely together on the project.
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.
Childbirth, whether vaginal or by Cesarean, can have quite an impact on sexual and reproductive health and function, not to mention sexual pleasure. As we learn more about this, maybe we’ll develop better ways to address the issues that can arise.
Also, it’s just cool. 🙂
