Ultrasound appointment are a momentous occasion for many parents to be. But researchers have developed a method that may allow parents to view their fetus in three dimensions.

"The 3D fetal models combined with virtual reality immersive technologies may improve our understanding of fetal anatomical characteristics and can be used for educational purposes and as a method for parents to visualize their unborn baby," said study co-author Heron Werner Jr., MD, PhD, from the Clínica de Diagnóstico por Imagem, in Rio de Janeiro, who will present such information next week at the Radiological Society of North America (RSNA) in Chicago.

Utilizing the power of MRI and ultrasounds, researchers have developed a realistic 3D virtual reality of the growing fetus. The 3D virtual reality shows the entire structure of the fetus, including a view of the respiratory tract that physicians can use as an indicator for health. Researchers used the Oculus Rift 2 headset to show parents their fetuses down to their fingers.

"The experience with the Oculus Rift has been wonderful," said Werner. "It provides fetal images that are sharper and clearer than ultrasound and MR images viewed on a traditional display. The physicians can have access to an immersive experience on the clinical case that they are working on, having the whole internal structure of the fetus in 3D in order to better visualize and share the morphological information."