The proposed work is significant in that it aims to provide new insights into human birth. Natural, vaginal delivery is strongly linked to positive outcomes in newborns. These include: shorter post-birth hospital stays; lower likelihood of intensive care stays and, overall, lower mortality rates. A better understanding of the fundamental fluid mechanics of vaginal delivery may reduce the need for surgical delivery in cases like prolonged labors and slightly abnormal fetal presentations. The PI aims to look at previously undetermined mechanics related to human birth. She proposes to explore an important issue related to women's and babies' health, which is clearly high impact, but which few others have previously gone after. A better understanding of the fluid dynamics involved with natural delivery can avoid birth trauma such as: clavicle fracture, brachial plexus palsy (damage to the nerves than control shoulder, arm and hand), head and brain trauma and fetal asphyxia.
The objective of this proposal is to study the role of fluid dynamics in the physical process of human delivery and birth. The research component of the program is primarily experimental and consists of two major objectives. In the first objective, the PI will characterize the forces involved in delivery (for vacuum assisted and "natural" birth) using a custom made apparatus that mimics the process of human birth. In a second aim, the PI will characterize the fundamental rheological properties of fluids (amniotic, vernix caseosa) involved in birth using rheological tools. The PI has planned an organized series of experiments to measure forces during assisted and unassisted birth, and to examine the impact of realistic geometry on the above.
