EAGER: The fluid dynamics of human birth

这项拟议的工作意义重大，因为它旨在为人类生育提供新的见解。自然的阴道分娩与新生儿的积极结局密切相关。这些因素包括：产后住院时间更短；重症监护住院的可能性更低；总体上死亡率更低。更好地了解阴道分娩的基本流体力学可能会减少延长分娩时间和轻微异常胎儿呈现等情况下手术分娩的必要性。PI的目标是研究以前尚未确定的与人类出生相关的机制。她提议探索一个与妇女和婴儿健康相关的重要问题，这个问题显然影响很大，但之前很少有人去追求这个问题。更好地了解自然分娩所涉及的流体动力学可以避免分娩创伤，如锁骨骨折、臂丛神经麻痹(损伤神经而不是控制肩、臂和手)、头部和脑损伤以及胎儿窒息。该计划的研究部分主要是试验性的，由两个主要目标组成。在第一个目标中，PI将使用一种模仿人类分娩过程的定制设备来描述分娩(真空辅助分娩和自然分娩)所涉及的力量。在第二个目标中，PI将使用流变学工具表征分娩过程中涉及的液体(羊膜、羊膜、干酪)的基本流变性。PI计划了一系列有组织的实验，以测量助产和非助产期间的力量，并检查现实几何对以上的影响。

Leftwich1437611The 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.