High-Tech Births
Dec. 8th, 2003 08:25 am![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
primroseburrowsFrom Reuters:
Defense Software Could Make Births Safer -Report
(2003-12-03)
LONDON (Reuters) - British scientists have incorporated defense software used to pick up targets on military radar into a new painless technique that detects problems during labor and could lead to safer births.
The electrocardiogram (ECG) trace developed by the defense research company QinetiQ can record an electrical signal from the heart and indicates if the baby is not getting enough oxygen or has an irregular heartbeat, a science magazine reported.
It can also detect the strength of the mother's contractions, which shows how the labor is progressing.
"The non-invasive system records signals from 12 electrodes on the mother's abdomen, separating out useful components from background noise from muscles other than the heart or interference from electrical equipment," New Scientist magazine said on Wednesday.
Doctors at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in southwestern England who are testing the device believe it will help to detect early problems during the delivery and help to rule out unnecessary Caesarean deliveries.
A technique called cardiotocography (CTG) is already used during labor but it is not as accurate as the ECG.
"The researchers also found they could measure the mother's contractions directly, using the electrical signals from the muscles," the magazine added.
© Copyright 2003, Reuters
Um. I think this could be useful in very, very high risk birth situations. In normal, low risk situations, however, it's just another way of making chilbirth into an illness, of stealing power from women AGAIN. How much do you want to bet that millions of women will insist on it without question?
Defense Software Could Make Births Safer -Report
(2003-12-03)
LONDON (Reuters) - British scientists have incorporated defense software used to pick up targets on military radar into a new painless technique that detects problems during labor and could lead to safer births.
The electrocardiogram (ECG) trace developed by the defense research company QinetiQ can record an electrical signal from the heart and indicates if the baby is not getting enough oxygen or has an irregular heartbeat, a science magazine reported.
It can also detect the strength of the mother's contractions, which shows how the labor is progressing.
"The non-invasive system records signals from 12 electrodes on the mother's abdomen, separating out useful components from background noise from muscles other than the heart or interference from electrical equipment," New Scientist magazine said on Wednesday.
Doctors at the Royal Devon and Exeter Hospital in southwestern England who are testing the device believe it will help to detect early problems during the delivery and help to rule out unnecessary Caesarean deliveries.
A technique called cardiotocography (CTG) is already used during labor but it is not as accurate as the ECG.
"The researchers also found they could measure the mother's contractions directly, using the electrical signals from the muscles," the magazine added.
© Copyright 2003, Reuters
Um. I think this could be useful in very, very high risk birth situations. In normal, low risk situations, however, it's just another way of making chilbirth into an illness, of stealing power from women AGAIN. How much do you want to bet that millions of women will insist on it without question?
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(no subject)
Date: 2003-12-08 02:46 pm (UTC)I completely believe that all these gadgets are almost always unnecessary, and often *cause* the complications - lying on your back while 9 months pregnant usually causes the weight of the baby to press back onto the mother's main artery and cut off the circulation to the fetus - so yeah - the baby goes into distress! Not to mention internal fetal monitors that are actually screwed into the baby's scalp while it's still inside the mother - gah - you could poke an eye out with that thing. Monitors - unless there is an actual emergency can become dangerous crutches. I think to some extent they are invented by men trying to control something - birth - that is otherwise beyond their experience.
haha - you must have hit my soapbox button! Didn't mean to go on so - but a woman can't be informed enough in this situation.
(no subject)
Date: 2003-12-08 09:42 pm (UTC)My sister had three of her four kids at home. One was eleven pounds, partial shoulder dystocia. She didn't tear, because the midwife did such great prep. No episiotomy, no tear at all. Yay, midwives. *g*
(no subject)
Date: 2003-12-10 12:19 pm (UTC)That's awesome! I'm very glad to know people are still using it. I swear by it every chance I get. It really works! I got so relaxed, I was eventually falling asleep during the contractions (also due to having only 2 hours sleep the night before *g*).
Yay, midwives.
Yes! Mine was so wonderful.