June 1, 2013

Greek doctor posts baby in beautiful bubble birth photo

A Greek doctor sent his Facebook photo viral after posting a caesarean birth photo showing a baby in the bubble of the amniotic sac, also called an en-caul birth.

A lex Brooks
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Na t ure t ra nsc end s it self, lea ving y ou a nd ob st et ric ia ns sp eec hless

A Greek obstetrician Dr Aris Tsigris (https://www.facebook.com/DrArisTsigris)posted this photo on his Facebook profile, saying: A rare picture the baby still has not understood that he was born its like he is still in the womb. This is known as veil birth and is more common in premature births. Complete occlusion of the newborn in the bag does not let the baby drown in the amniotic fluid, it begins to breathe immediately after removal of the veil, as the placenta continues to feed the baby with blood, he wrote on Facebook back in March this year.

Babies born in their amniotic sac, or with part of the sac attached, are said to be lucky and have the gift of second sight or prophecy. Sailors or superstitious types would bid to buy the caul or veil as a lucky charm to protect them from drowning. Enterprising midwives used to dry out amniotic membranes and sell them as a talisman. Most womens waters break during labour or birth, making an en-caul or born in the caul event extremely rare. Some midwives (http://www.midwiferytoday.com/enews/enews0248.asp)believe the amniotic fluid protects the umbilical cord from compression and prevents foetal distress. It also protects the babys head from the pressure of the birth canal. The baby has its relaxed, watery environment during the labour to continue drinking and breathing the fluid.

T he veil of b irt h
When I started researching (https://www.facebook.com/permalink.php? story_fbid=534036433305464&id=193162710726173) the rarity of babies born in their amniotic sac, a story about my own obstetrician came up. Dr Alex Szirt helped deliver NSWs first Christmas Day baby of 2008. This lucky baby Lola was born en-caul, too.

Folk tales suggest a baby born in the caul can be psychic and destined to achieve great things. Born still in her protective membrane, a one-in-10-year event, Dolores Pancaldis birth has astounded doctors at Sydneys Royal Womens Hospital. Nicknamed Lola by her parents Adrian and Susan, she was born at 12.32am on Christmas Day.

She is incredibly rare. In 37 years of practice I have only seen this type of birth three times, Dr Alex Szirt told the Daily Telegraph (http://www.dailytelegraph.com.au/archive/news/a-little-mermaid-is-born/story-e6frf0a0-

1111118440888) back then. The birth was heralded as a one-in-10-year-event, its considered so rare. Dr Alex Szirt delivered my own baby back in 2003, but I did not manage to score an en-caul or in the caul birth, which tends to happen more often to premature babies. Both my babies were born more than 10 days late, but still felt miraculous to me, caul or no caul.
R ea d more on K i ds pot a bout bi rth:

Labour terms women should know (http://www.kidspot.com.au/Pregnancy-Birth-Labourterms+1603+146+article.htm) Pain-free birth techniques (http://www.kidspot.com.au/Pregnancy-Labour-Pain-free-birthtricks+4874+142+article.htm) How to engage a doula (http://www.kidspot.com.au/Pregnancy-Labour-Engaging-adoula+1521+142+article.htm)

R ea d more a bout en-c a ul a nd ba bi es born i n the c a ul:

Baby born in the caul (http://forum.birth.com.au/everyones-birthtalk/109265-amazing-photo-baby-borncaul.html) on Birth.com.au In defence of the amniotic sac (http://midwifethinking.com/2010/08/20/in-defence-of-the-amniotic-sac/) from Midwife Thinking En caul delivery (http://www.babymed.com/en-caul-delivery) from BabyMed

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