3D models of unborn babies could impact abortion debate

3D models of unborn babies are now available to parents and this fascinating new technology could help change the debate over abortion.

For years, pro-lifers have used 3D and 4D sonogram imagery to show the humanity of the unborn child in the womb. Now, 3D model technology allows mothers and educators a way to hold a life-sized version of the unborn child.

“We are trying to create a very positive emotion for them as a memory of this magical time,” a representative of WolfPrint, a company that makes the fetuses, told Reuters.

WolfPrint, a company based in Estonia which makes the 3D Models says on their website:

Parents can see and get to know their child already in an early stage – weeks before the actual birth. During a long time already, modern technologies enable us to see the first ultrasound images of the unborn baby not only in 2D but also in holistic 3D.

We can add the next dimension! Using the novel opportunities offered by 3D printing, we are one of the first ones in the world creating a precise copy of the unborn baby in the form of a figurine. This figurine looks exactly the same as the little citizen of the world who is still hidden in mother’s womb.

According to the Washington Post, 3D-printed fetuses are available stateside for as little as $250. The company 3D Babies once reportedly even offered a replica of a celebrity baby — specifically North West, the daughter of Kanye West and Kim Kardashian — though this option, perhaps a bit too intimate, is no longer available.

http://youtu.be/YPO8AzSbXgo

According to 3D Babies, they use the mother’s 3D/4D ultrasound images or newborn baby pictures to create, “a unique artistic representation of your baby using the latest computer graphics and 3D printing technology.”

3D Babies tells pregnant women that best time to have their 3D ultrasound is between 23-32 weeks gestation.

The company makes 3D Babies in two sizes, the life-size Baby is 8 inches (crown to rump) reflecting the actual size of a fetus during the recommended time of performing a 3D ultrasound.

The half-size Baby is 4 inches (crown to rump) providing a more economical price yet still large enough to cradle in your hand.

The company says that their 3D Babies are always displayed with their eyes closed, are bald, and are marked with the symbol of love (heart-shaped hole on back).

“Using technology, we capture a parent’s loving feelings and excitement about the coming birth,” the California-based company’s Web site reads. “We want all parents to feel the joy that we and our customers experience and prolong it, using this combination of science and emotion.”

As 3D Models become more popular the ability to see the personhood of the unborn child will increase. Which might be why the Washington Post appropriately titled their story, “See the 3D-printed fetuses that could perhaps change the abortion debate.”