PhotOBaby Launches First Consumer Product for Customizing and Sharing Prenatal Images and Video Taken in Physician's Office

DEL MAR, Calif. (Map) - DEL MAR, Calif., Nov. 29 /PRNewswire/ -- PhotOBaby(R) (http://www.MyPhotOBaby.com) today launched the world's first service available to consumers that allows parents to customize and share baby's first images and video in the clinical setting. PhotOBaby offers the ability to personalize the images and videos taken during the normally scheduled prenatal check-up with a choice of content, including baby's name and sex, date of the ultrasound, border art, and music. By utilizing images and video captured during the medically-necessary ultrasound, PhotOBaby helps to ensure that the prenatal imaging is being conducted in a safe, medical environment by a licensed professional. (Note to Editors: Please see accompanying image.)

(Photo: http://www.newscom.com/cgi-bin/prnh/20071129/AQTH033)

By personalizing the ultrasound, PhotOBaby enhances early "family bonding" -- the close emotional tie between parents and siblings with baby and one of many keys to good newborn health. Until recently, families and friends were only able to get to know the newest family member by looking at a snapshot or living vicariously through the expectant mother. Now, PhotOBaby allows parents to share their ultrasound bonding experience with spouses/partners, siblings, family and friends. Specialized content enables users to humanize their infant's first images before sharing it.

PhotOBaby offers greater incentive for parents to capture images taken in the medical setting, rather than seek out additional ultrasound scans from so-called "strip mall sonography" shops. While this has become a popular item for expectant couples, the American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine (AIUM) recommends that only appropriately trained and credentialed medical professionals perform all fetal ultrasound scans. According to an official AIUM statement issued in June 2005, "The AIUM recommends that appropriately trained and credentialed medical professionals (either licensed physicians, registered sonographers, or sonography registry candidates) who have received specialized training in fetal imaging perform all fetal ultrasound scans ... Any other use of 'limited medical ultrasound' may constitute practice of medicine without a license."(1)

PhotOBaby's founder is a father and ultrasound industry veteran who realized first-hand the difficulty that parents-to-be and physicians have in formatting and sharing ultrasound images and videos. "Like most expectant fathers, I was unable to identify my child in the printed sonogram image and found it difficult to make a connection until he was born. However, with PhotOBaby, families and friends are able to begin to bond with the child before birth, providing a unique connection that has previously only been experienced by the mother."

PhotOBaby also announced a $25,000 giveaway for the most unique prenatal image as judged by registered MyPhotOBaby.com visitors. Only legal United States residents of at least 18 years of age at time of entry are eligible to enter. Contestants may enter by registering at MyPhotOBaby.com. Ten finalists will be selected from all eligible entries received by 11/30/2008. The ten potential winning entries will be posted on http://www.MyPhotOBaby.com and the winner will be determined by the vote of registered MyPhotOBaby.com visitors. The winner will be notified on or about the day of selection.

About PhotOBaby

PhotOBaby (http://www.MyPhotOBaby.com) is the world's first service available in the clinical setting that allows parents to customize and share baby's earliest images and video. PhotOBaby is only intended for use with scans performed by an experienced and licensed sonographer using modern ultrasound equipment. PhotOBaby is the brainchild of a proud father who just happens to also be in the ultrasound technologies business, and who realized first-hand the difficulties that parents-to-be and physicians have in formatting and sharing ultrasound images and videos.

(1) American Institute of Ultrasound in Medicine. Official Statement: Keepsake Fetal Imaging; 2005.