Biomedical Engineering Reference
In-Depth Information
The midwife points out parts of the baby, such as the face, nose, chin,
profi le, neck, back, bottom and legs. But besides showing what can actually
be seen on the screen, the midwife also alerts the parents to various body
functions
, such as when she points out that it is possible to see the heart beat.
In this way, the interpretation of the image also shows the functions of the
baby's inner organs and that the baby is alive. This is something we also can
see in the next example.
Example 8
MIDWIFE:
Here you can see the heart clearly (O
LIVIA
and O
SKAR
: yeah) can
you see (O
LIVIA
and O
SKAR
: yes) the heart chambers too, it's like a little
cross, there is one line here and one line there (O
LIVIA
: yes) can you see
that there's a black spot there (O
LIVIA
: yes) that's the stomach and that's
the heart [inaudible] (O
LIVIA
and O
SKAR
: uhum)
[the midwife continues to show other body parts].
In addition to commenting on the image with reference to body functions,
the midwife here also comments on the
structure of the body
, when she
shows the structure of the heart by pointing out the heart chambers: 'it's like
a little cross'. Another typical pattern is the pointing out of the
completeness
of the baby's body.
Example 9
MIDWIFE:
And here one can see the bottom and here one can see the bladder
here one can see the thigh and the thigh and the knee and the knee, now
I'm twisting this thing and then one can see the lower leg, here is one
lower leg there is the other lower leg and then there is the foot far out
there (O
LIVIA
: uhum) it might perhaps be a little diffi cult to see when
you're not used to looking at these small details so that's why you almost
have to do like this (O
LIVIA
: yes) one can see it from a little distance
(O
SKAR
: yes) there you have the feet or the legs, to the left and the head
to the right then
OLIVIA:
Yes, exactly
OSKAR:
Uhum.
Whenever an arm, hand, leg, knee or foot is shown, the midwife looks
for an image that makes it possible for the parents to see the complementary
body part as well. Also, in those cases where the other arm, leg or foot
cannot be seen, the midwife explicitly comments that it does exist. Other
body parts that are pointed out are the expected baby's thighs, hips, arms,
hands and fi ngers. When the hands or feet are shown, the question of
numbers, numbers of fi ngers, hands, etc., will in most cases be a topic of
interest.
