For a number of people, the first time they realized the humanity of the unborn when they were able to hold their small son or daughter in the palm of their hands.  Imagine if every pregnant woman could have this experience.  With the work of Dr. Jorge Lopes, a student at the Royal College of Art Design, now they can.

For his PhD, Lopes developed a way to use ultrasound and MRI images to create a 3-D figure of the baby while still in the womb.  The process, called rapid prototyping, adds plastic powder to a three-dimensional model with a device similar to a printer.

“It’s amazing to see the faces of the mothers. They can see the full scale of their baby, really understand the size of it,” said Lopes.

Possible uses for the new technology include assisting blind pregnant mothers to bond with their babies before their birth, according to Stuart Campbell, the head of obstetrics at King’s College and a pioneer in the use of ultrasounds.  He calls the technology “a fantastic development.”

You would think that everyone would be appreciative of such advancement.  However, some commentaries come off seeming angry.  They label rapid prototyping as “selfish” and “preying on pregnant women’s fears, hopes and dreams.”  One in particular reads,

“Aren’t we at a point in our understanding of pregnancy, birth, parenthood, baby-loving that we know there’s nothing wrong with not bonding with a baby in-utero. There’s barely anything wrong with not bonding in the first couple of weeks post birth…Above all, don’t set up pregnant women for yet another way to fail in pregnancy and impending motherhood. Surely it’s OK to look deeply into a perfectly formed pair of stark white eyes with no irises and feel nothing.”