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Telly addicts

Related: Film discussion forum.

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Original poster

anyone watching the human body on BBC1?

26 replies

headfairy · 05/05/2011 21:45

What an amazing programme, the cleft palate repair in India just brought tears to my eyes, such fantastic difference it makes to those children's lives.

OP posts:

Waswondering · 05/05/2011 21:52

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

Meglet · 05/05/2011 21:53

I hope it's a series.

loved the hi-tech animation of the sperm swimming towards the egg.

peeriebear · 05/05/2011 21:54

I am- it's awesome, literally. Loving every minute. :)

Hulababy · 05/05/2011 21:55

Yes, DH is out so I have turned it on.

My brother was born with a hare lip and cleft palate some 30+ years ago and had many operations over the years, including a mssive one with his jaws wired, etc in his very early 20s. His lip was not as seperated as those shown but he has a cleft palate in addition. Interesting to see the work done over there.

I cannot imagine being pregnant with triplets!!!

Hulababy · 05/05/2011 21:55

Isn't a four parter?

schroeder · 05/05/2011 21:57

OMG the expression on that baby's face! he looked so surprised

Flossie69 · 05/05/2011 21:59

The contrast between the two births at the end was very powerful.

Newgolddream · 05/05/2011 22:42

It was brilliant wasnt it. I believe its a 4 part show, ending with someone dying - I think someone voluntereed for this.

sharbie · 05/05/2011 22:47

wow indeed
me and dd loved every minute of it
dd was born with the opposite of a cleft and science has moved on even since then - it was really fascinating

midlandsmumof4 · 05/05/2011 23:21

Isn't nature just absolutely awesome...but it can deal some really shite hands sometimes....

Original poster

headfairy · 05/05/2011 23:22

I'm just amazed that my two dcs were born at all and are perfect. Just incredible considering the millions of things that can go wrong!

OP posts:

Cattleprod · 06/05/2011 10:39

What an amazing programme.

I had always wondered why clefts were to the side when they are related to the neural tube so logically would be central. I guess the three part theory means the middle part of the filtrum comes from the nose section and the clefts are where one or both of the cheek sections fail to fuse to it properly.

Fascinating about the sperm being held in a kind of 'hibernation' in the fallopian tube until the egg is ready for them.

Sharbie - what is the opposite of a cleft? Do you mean extra tissue where it has 'over-fused'?

boohoohoo · 06/05/2011 11:01

Dh and I both sat there in tears last night with regard to the cleft palate operations in India, our son was born with a cleft two years ago and had a repair when he was eight months. We have no idea of how lucky we are here, to see those children having repairs was very moving, a fairly simple operation that will change a life. But the whole programme was fascinating.

sharbie · 06/05/2011 14:50

yes cattle choanal atresia complete blockage with bone both sides of upper nasal cavity at this point of development (5/6 weeks gestation).dd born with no nasal airway at all - took 8 ops to sort out - some at g.o.s.h.

walesblackbird · 06/05/2011 14:53

Can someone tell me whether it's suitable for a 7 year old to watch? My son saw a trailer for it a little while ago and asked me to Sky+ it for him. He's really into science and got really excited about being able to watch it.

I've sky+ it but didn't watch it myself and from reading what you say now I'm not sure whether it's suitable for a child?

Original poster

headfairy · 06/05/2011 14:59

It depends if you've had The Talk with him about where babies come from (sorry if that sounds a bit stupid, mine 2 are much smaller so I have no idea at what age you have to have The Talk). There obviously aren't any graphic sex scenes, but you are shown animated simulation of sperm swimming around up through the cervix etc...

There are also some children who have cleft lip and palate operations in India. They might be a bit upsetting maybe for a 7 year old, depends on how sensitive he is. But of course the end result of the surgery (nothing graphic) is nothing short of wonderful, seeing those children with their faces repaired.

At the end you are shown some triplets being born by cs... again not too graphic to my eyes, but might be a little bit for a 7 year old. As I said, it depends on how he is with things like blood. Not that there's much, but it does show three new born babies who are all covered in vernix and blood. But bloody lovely ending it is too

OP posts:

walesblackbird · 06/05/2011 15:03

Thanks Headfairy. He knows where babies come from - he's adopted so he's always been aware that he didn't grow in my tummy and he knows how babies are born (although I suspect something may have been lost in translation when he insisted that having a seen a chick being born it came out of its mother's bottom!).

Maybe I'll watch it first and then decide.

I suspect if he's waiting for his daddy to do the 'how to make babies' talk he'll be waiting an awfully long time

Original poster

headfairy · 06/05/2011 15:09

It's less about the process of getting a sperm in to a woman, much more about the sperm's journey once it's there. It's a lovely programme though, I hope he enjoys it (if you think it's suitable for him that is) maybe it'll inspire him to become the next Robert Winston :o

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Cattleprod · 06/05/2011 16:25

Thanks for explaining sharbie, I've never heard of that before. Mind you, I've never spoken to anyone other than myself who has a cleft lip, and it's really common, 1 in 300ish.

sharbie · 06/05/2011 17:13

c atresia like dd is 1 in 30 000 cattle

sharbie · 06/05/2011 17:14

i have met one baby with a cleft a grandchild of my mums' friend

Eglu · 06/05/2011 17:18

I really enjoyed this last night. I am currently 31 weekes with DC3 and am amazed at how the human body can make and grow a baby.

boohoohoo · 06/05/2011 17:37

Cattleprod, I had never met anyone born with a cleft either before I had my son, even though I was a teacher for 12 years!!! The cleft team told me it is fairly common! However we are really lucky now because even about six years ago cleft repair did not always work but a lot of research has been done since and it is now a relatively simple operation (although as a parent carrying my baby into theatre was the hardest thing I have ever done).

notyummy · 08/05/2011 20:21

Amazing programme. I loved his other one on BBC 4 about the brain. (I have a slight crush on him actually....)

Dd (4) loved it, although didn't 'get' all of it.

mousymouse · 08/05/2011 20:32

a friend of mine is a maxiofacial (sp?) suregon and he says if the repair is done quickly after birth, in most cases you would not be able to tell that baby ever had a cleft.
in other countries (only know of germany) the repair is done at a few days old, before mom and baby leave the hospital.

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