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Greenslopes obstetrician brings antenatal scans to life with 3D printer
Sep 21, 2020
While 3D scans are a routine part of a visit to the obstetrician, Greenslopes Obstetrics and Gynaecology’s Dr Ken Law has taken it to the next level.
Dr Law has started offering his patients a 3D mould of their babies’ faces, made using a 3D printer, and it has proved very popular with parents-to-be.
“Just like a normal scan, the baby has to be in a good position in order to capture a good 3D image,” Dr Law said.
“It’s a bit more realistic when you can print something that the parents can actually hold onto, and a 3D mould of a baby’s face is a unique memento of the pregnancy.”
The technology was initially created for vision-impaired expectant mothers, and it takes about three hours to print the 3D model of the baby’s face.
Brisbane mum, Nikki Aylward, who gave birth to her third daughter in early August, jumped at the chance to get a sneak peak of her daughter’s face.
“We wanted to see what she looked like, so when Dr Law said he could print a mould, we thought ‘why not’,” Mrs Aylward said.
“And because I wasn’t able to take my husband, Josh, or my other daughters with me to the appointments [due to COVID-19], it was wonderful be able to show family and friends the mould before she arrived.”
Dr Ken Law offers a 3D mould of babies faces, made using a 3D printer while baby is still in utero.
Image Caption: Dr Ken Law, Obstetrics and Gynaecologist at Greenslopes Private Hospital