Engineers who created a robot that looks like a CPR doll are hoping their innovation will train doctors to react property in birthing emergencies. A common birth injury that results from doctor’s error in a birthing emergency is shoulder dystocia, which is one of the forms of medical malpractice that the makers of this robot hopes to reduce.
What is Shoulder Dystocia?
Shoulder dystocia occurs when the baby is stuck in the birth canal because the shoulder is lodged behind the mother’s pubic bone. If the baby is not delivered in a timely manner, it can suffer life-threatening brain damage due to birth asphyxia. Brain damage due to birth asphyxia can lead to cerebral palsy. Additionally, an improper delivery to get the baby out in time can often lead to nerve damage.
Shoulder dystocia happens often enough that an obstetrician and his or her staff will see it occur multiple times throughout their professional careers. The hope is that this robot will train doctors to respond to this emergency correctly and efficiently.
While looking like a CPR doll, the robot will have blinking eyelids, veins and a somewhat lifelike respiratory system. It is still limited in how it can help, as it does not allow a completely accurate simulation of a shoulder dystocia incident. However, this robot is a step in the right direction in the evolution of life-like training aids for doctors.
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Farrell & Patel – Birth Injury Lawyers
