Next-gen ultrasound

Almost invariably, a new baby´s photo album begins with a grainy black-and-white picture taken months before birth - a prenatal ultrasound image, which is often detailed enough to inspire comments about the child´s resemblance to various members of the family. But jokes about balding uncles notwithstanding, such scans serve a serious purpose and can prove immensely important, as when they allow doctors to diagnose and sometimes even repair a congenital malformation while the baby is still in the womb.