New 3D technology which allows blind parents to feel their unborn baby’s face has been praised by SPUC as it shows the humanity and beauty of unborn children. Michael Robinson, SPUC Director of Communications, said: “So often unborn children are disregarded as ‘clumps of cells’ or ‘blobs of tissue.’ Astounding technology such as this shows the humanity and beauty of unborn children.”

In the past, 3D ultrasounds have only been used for diagnostic purposes. However, when caring for a blind expectant mother, a sonographer at John Hopkins hospital in the USA created the concept to provide visually impaired parents with a 3D image of their baby’s face, at an anatomy scan which usually takes place at 18 - 22 weeks.

Mother and president of the Maryland Parents of Blind Children, Melissa Riccobono has said that this concept is very exciting for expectant parents who have visual impairments. Melissa said: “It’s a really cool way to meet that little being inside of you before you actually meet that little being…For families, instead of having to show them a picture of an ultrasound, how cool it would be for them to get their hands on it, what the baby is like now.”

Melissa said that by relying so heavily on pictures, “we really miss the opportunity to use our other senses…More than blind people would enjoy that.”

“Dispelling pro-abortion myths which belittle the existence of the unborn”

SPUC’s Mr Robinson said: “The abortion industry thrives on the dehumanisation of unborn children. Pro-abortion advocates promote a misleading ideology which brands unborn children as nothing more than cells or tissue. Many women presenting for an abortion are not aware of the development of their child, especially during very early pregnancy.

“3D technology such as this shows parents the life of their baby before birth. It helps to dispel pro-abortion myths which belittle the existence and humanity of unborn children.”

Understanding human life inside the womb

Advances in technology over the last 50 years means that we now know radically more about life before birth than any previous generation. Through the use of modern technology - such as 3D ultrasound scans – society now has the opportunity to gain a greater insight into the humanity of the unborn child.

25 days after conception, an unborn child’s body is growing rapidly as a head, body, hand and feet buds start to appear.

By 21 to 25 days the baby's heart cells begin to beat. Other internal organs are present in simple form and functioning and early facial features appear. The doctor who performed the first-ever blood transfusion to an unborn baby has described an unborn child one month after conception:

"By 30 days…the baby - one quarter of an inch long - has a brain of unmistakable human proportions, eyes, ears, mouth, kidneys, liver, an umbilical cord and a heart pumping blood he has made himself."