When you think of birthing devices, you probably get a bit squeamish. You're not the only one, but bear with me. A 'revolutionary' gadget to assist with labour has been devised by none other than an Argentinean car mechanic, who "based the idea on a party trick." True story.
No, Jorge Odon isn't any kind of obstetrics expert, though he does have five kids of his own. And the father's previous patents had to do with his chosen field: car mechanics. Yet the proverbial light bulb went off for Odon after he saw a YouTube video on how to remove a "loose cork from inside an empty bottle." The solution—which involves inserting then inflating a plastic bag—somehow translated to childbirth.
Of course when Odon shared his idea in those early days, most people thought he had a few nuts loose. But his wife's obstetrician responded encouragingly. So Odon went ahead and registered the patent and built a prototype using his daughter's dolls.
"When he showed me the trick [with the bottle] I thought it was crazy—crazy but interesting," said Dr Javier Schvartzman at the Buenos Aires Centre for Medical Education and Clinical Research. The two paired up and by 2008, the project had been presented to the World Health Organization.
According to an article in the BBC, developments in birthing instruments are few and far between, with such interventions only occurring in one of every 10 births. And the outcomes for forceps and ventouse are far from perfect.
The best part of Odon's device: it's cheap and simple and could be especially useful in developing countries where difficult births can prove fatal, while in developed countries it could lower the rising rate of Cesarean deliveries.
"Jorge was there, as well as several midwives and obstetricians. There were people filming. It was something truly spectacular," said one woman who volunteered to test the Odon. "I had no pain whatsoever. It was very quick and I got to enjoy watching the birth of my son. The first time, I hadn't managed to see it, given my desperation! This time around, I could enjoy it. And it wasn't necessary to get an episiotomy."
If all goes well, in two to three years' time, the device could used by OBs and midwives near you! Amazing that it took a mechanic to come up with a modern birthing device.
What do you think of this invention? Would you use it?
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