3D modeling has applications in obstetrics care, says CHI Health obstetrician

Research that Dr. John Coté has been reviewing and adding to on his own indicates that there are many potential benefits of using three-dimensional models of fetal ultrasound, computerized tomography and magnetic resonance imaging scans.

Coté is a clinical obstetriciangynecologist with CHI Health in Omaha, Nebraska, and an assistant professor at Omaha’s Creighton University. He says that while the application of 3D printing is still in early use in medical modeling, obstetricians and gynecologists have been able to use 3D printing to educate their surgical teams, medical students and patients.

in different ways.

Based on what he’s learned about application for 3D printing in maternalfetal medicine from his own and others’ research, he views it as a very effective tool to promote bonding prior to a baby’s birth, among many other benefits.

Patient-specific anatomical models are used to preplan hysterectomies and for a fuller understanding of tissue damage from endometriosis, Coté says.

Research also has shown that having models of their baby in utero can motivate pregnant women to quit smoking, Coté says. Smoking during pregnancy raises the risk of birth defects.

amaurosis. According to a medical information website from the University of California San Francisco, LCA is a rare inherited eye disorder that causes severe vision loss at birth. LCA is the most common cause of inherited blindness in childhood and is found in two to three out of every 100,000 babies, according to the site.

In early December, the clinicians surprised Ashton by inviting her and her husband to CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center — Bergan Mercy. The expectant mother knew as she headed over that she’d be receiving a 3D print made from her baby’s ultrasound but did not know she’d be getting multiple models. At the hospital, Sekpe and Coté and a hospital staffer presented her with the 3D ultrasound models. She says running her fingertips over the models to feel the shape of her baby’s face and features “was very emotional — I couldn’t stop crying.”

The Johnsons display the models in the nursery and have taken them along to baby showers. As Catholic Health World went to press, Ashton was due to deliver her son in early February. The couple planned to name him Quinton.

Extra preparations

Ashton was born with leber congenital jminda@chausa.org

Ashton says she’s always been determined not to let her visual impairment define or limit her. “I set really high goals for myself,” she says. She earned her doctorate in physical therapy at Creighton University and did her clinical rotation at CHI Health Creighton University Medical Center — Bergan Mercy. The medical center is part of CommonSpirit Health.

In preparing for bringing home baby Quinton, Ashton and Logan are applying some of the tips from their research.

Ashton bought a breastpump with raised buttons that are easy to locate. The pump has fewer small parts than other models, which simplifies cleaning. The baby’s bottles have raised numbers and letters, so Ashton can know how many ounces of milk she’s giving Quinton.

The couple is using a black Sharpie to label items in the kitchen and nursery with large lettering — a hack that will help a sleep-deprived dad too.

Coté says his research shows that 3D models of fetal ultrasound images have had a measurable impact on bonding for pregnant women who have suffered from past birth trauma or miscarriage. Seeing the model allows them to emotionally process the new pregnancy.

The lifelike modeling can help a woman whose baby has a visible birth defect in utero to emotionally prepare for the baby’s appearance. Coté says he once made a model for an expectant mother whose baby would be born with a cleft palate. She brought the model to her baby showers to prepare relatives and friends too.

Coté’s research also has shown that 3D fetal modeling helps fathers-to-be. Normally, fathers do not bond as closely with their unborn babies as mothers do because of the physical connection between mother and child, Coté says, adding his research shows that having a model of their baby in utero allows fathers to bond with their child more closely before birth.

— JULIE MINDA

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