Looking for The Lactivist? She's retired. But you CAN still find Jen blogging. These days, she's runs A Flexible Life. Join her for life, recipes, projects and the occasional rant. |
Monday, April 17, 2006
Hopsitals beginning to use new advanced robot for training...http://news.yahoo.com/s/ap/20060417/ap_on_hi_te/pregnant_robot_1
Noelle models range from a $3,200 basic version to a $20,000 computerized Noelle that best approximates a live birth.
She can be programmed for a variety of complications and for cervix dilation. She can labor for hours and produce a breach baby or unexpectedly give birth in a matter of minutes.
She ultimately delivers a plastic doll that can change colors, from a healthy pink glow to the deadly blue of oxygen deficiency. The baby mannequin is wired to flash vital signs when hooked up to monitors.
About 50 doctors, nurses and others involved in caring for pregnant women attended the training session, which started with Noelle hooked up to standard delivery monitoring machines and tended to by nurses and doctors.
David Isaza, an engineer with Gaumard, sat in a corner with a laptop, sending wireless signals to Noelle. With a keystroke, he can inflict all sorts of complications, overriding any preprogrammed instructions.
As Noelle's heart rate increased, a nurse examined her under the sheets. An umbilical cord was visible — not a good thing. Immediately, the nurse called a "code 777." Several more medical personnel burst into the room and wheeled Noelle off to the operating room where she gave regular birth to twins after a frenzied 20-minute operation.
The thing that strikes me as most promising is the guy with the WIFI box in the corner that can "change things up" at a moments notice.
I like the whole "hey, let's make it breech" thing or "it's shoulder dystocia time!" because this is the type of thing that COULD give OBs the training on how to properly do vaginal births in those situations.
That said, my question is...can this robot deliver in anything other than the stranded beetle position?
Also...can we put them side by side and run the exact same programs with a well known OB in front of one robot and Ina May Gaskin in front of the other?
;)
Labels: Childbirth Issues
I'm diggin the Ina May v. OB tests... I can't see an OB willing to take up the challenge, though.
I'd like the answer to whether it can make other positions - not going to be a whole lot of good to women if all ppl trained on it expect women to just lay on their backs and wait.
I am willing to bet that RoboMom can only be on her back.
As a woman who had the particular pleasure of having a resident exercise hee water breaking-skills on me, I guess I am happy that this exists, but another part of me thinks it is a perfect metaphor for how the traditional medical community views women and birth.
Sigh.
(reposting because typos in previous post were REALLY bad)
Leave your response