As part of my EMT-B training, I watched a birth at my local hospital. I was surprised and scared when the girl came out and her head was...malformed. It was an average-small sized head, but it was pushed up and back, like a cone, but then sort of pushed backwards a little, so not totally vertical.
The childbirth was long. The first time, the doctor left and the nurses did a "Texas Log roll" to reposition the baby, since it wasn't pushing out, or the mother wasn't pushing hard enough (yeah right).
Second time, 45 minutes late, Doc comes in and tries a little suction device on the baby's head, ends up just pulling suction device off after pulling so hard (maybe that's why the head was...stretched?) tried about 2x, then clamps...Clamps tried about 2x, baby made a little headway out, then doc resumed hand delivery...after snipping the perineum 3x...(only part I didn't like. I'm a male and there's something about scissors in that area.) But hey, the baby came out. Probably would have came out with less snipping, but doctor may have been tired of waiting.
The new girl had this head shape that I just found odd. All the nurses said it will go down. And the doctor did say earlier in birth the head had some fluid edema on the top.
If that skull stays in that shape for life that little girl will have no life. I know. I was made fun of all my life in school for my large, oddly shaped head. And actually my head is normal, just a bit big because my parents have big noggins.
I felt sad seeing the baby. Like some twisted flashback of being picked on relentlessly in school...
Someone better say the head somehow transforms into normal shape. But how exactly? (ps. is there hope for my head? I'm only 23....maybe it'll decrease..maybe maybe..)
I had a cousin who finally, it seems, 9y/o has lost the "clamps" appearance on her head. That doc, on my aunt, used clamps (ahh the correct term is foreceps I believe...) on my cousin and for years those darn foreceps marks were on her forehead.
I just don't trust doctors, nurses, hek paramedics or EMT's. Anything we say has to be positive, or say nothing at all.
Hek the relatives couldn't even film the birth...not until, "The mother and baby are stable," the nurses said. Now, I say it's really because of the insane abundance of malpractice cases.
Less politics and more medical: what will happen to baby's head?
Well to the first people who answered, I feel better now. I knew all about the delicate bones when they are just born, but I didn't know they can really move and mold that much. Wow.
Nic
It's normal for a baby to be a little oddly shaped, this seems extreme though. Baby's skulls are very soft. The skull is in several pieces and actually isn't fully fused together until about age 12. Therefore, there is hope for the head to be un-cone shaped like
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It's normal that babies have cone-shaped head at birth. Especially if labor was long, or they used the vaccuum extraction.
A baby's skull isn't fused yet, meaning that the plates of it are moveable.. So the plates accomodate to be able to fit the birth canal..
If a baby's skull was fused, it wouldn't be able to fit or mold on the birth canal..
So yes, the baby will only have a cone-shaped head now, and it will go to normal in a few days.
wildeyes
The babies head will be fine. My sisters first also had to have forceps used to get him out after 2 hrs. of bull blown pushing. He turns 1 tomorrow and his head is already normal. The longer they're in the canal the more cone-headed they are my daughter came out fast and didn't have a cone-head at all. My dad went against doctor orders when he had us and gently shaped our heads lol. Nothing to worry about.
r's momma- too lady to rest
lol, you're funny. this is the highlight of my night. a star for you, love it.
this was the best part:
"If that skull stays in that shape for life that little girl will have no life. I know. I was made fun of all my life in school for my large, oddly shaped head. And actually my head is normal, just a bit big because my parents have big noggins."
her head will go down. yours won't though, sorry for your lots. my 1 year old also has a large head and we call him bulbus maximus. it's sad when you get made fun of by your own parents and you don't even understand that they're making fun. but we love him the same. and some day, maybe my son and that little girl you watched get delivered will meet and their big heads will fall in love.
Leuco
My son was a c-section birth but I had a very long labor and he just wouldn't come out! Because of this, my son had an enormous cone head. It's hilarious looking back at pictures of him! And the funny thing is, I didn't even notice till months later, looking at photo's of the birth and the hospital stay. He looked perfect to me.
So the answer is yes, the cone shape will go away. My son's head is now a normal, average sized head. But when he was born... boy howdy he looked alien!
marseille
the subject intrigues,good post,good observations
I peruse chicago tribunes mugshot pics of cty or cgo p/d bookings occasionally.
Out of 200 mugs,30-40 have occipital "bumps',a transversely narrow skull,enlongated too.
they look "odd",this might suggest that rough deliveries ma leave permanantly damaged
tissue,maybe to the blood brain barrier,which filters out chemicals,parasites from reaching brain.
bruising of the cerebrum,amygdala.If it is as i suggest,these deformaties sometimes result
in constitutional failing kids,problem in school,cuttin classes,petty theft,drug use,etc.
this wtetched crime problems' solution might be different,more careful,medical care.
Are we going to see this accompany "healthcare reform'?Submit your concerns to your state medical society,see what happens
Cloth on Bum, Breastmilk in Tum!
First of all, the cone-shape was caused by a long period of time in the birth canal, plus the vacuum and forceps. My niece, who was rather tiny and birthed without the vacuum or forceps, had a very pronounced, awful-looking cone head for a few weeks.
Secondly, I'm going to assume the mother had an epidural, right? Had she not, and been able to push from a different position, the episiotomies/vacuum/forceps would not likely have been necessary. Mom was also probably pushing just because she was told she was 10 cms and it was "time to push." If Mom had been able to feel when her body was telling her to push, she wouldn't have pushed for so long. And for the record, the molded head is actually pretty helpful to getting baby out. Had this mother been able to push when she needed to and in a better position, the molding of the baby's head may have prevented her from having any tearing, much less needing an episiotomy. (Or three! Ouch!) Both of my kids were born with perfectly round heads, and I had an episiotomy with my first and an even worse tear with my second. If their heads had been a little more cone-shaped, I may have fared a little better.
I'm sorry you witnessed such a traumatic birth. Birth is NOT meant to be that way; the modern medical establishment has made it that way. My first child's birth, while not as awful as what you described, sent me running from doctors and hospitals. I just had my second child - at home - and let me tell you, it was a million times better.
Last thing - you are spot on about the video taping. The last thing a doctor wants is a video of him ripping a child out of the womb with forceps...it's absolutely a guard against malpractice suits.
double_frick
babies skulls are not fully fused together when born. my boyfriend was quite disgusted to see my son's head sort-of "form" as it came out of my bajingo. (sorry, TMI)
so i have seen people who have oddly shaped skulls (not just big brained noggins ;) ) but i don't think it was due to the head being in the birth canal for too long since, as i said, the skulls is fragmented and not fully fused until well into the first year. hence the soft spot.
however, in the rare case that the babies skull becomes misshapen due to birth reasons or even from laying on one side to often (or too long) there is a brace that can be put on the child's head that will sort of mold the head back to a rounder shape and minus a bit discomfort works just great in most cases.
so its doubtful the little girl will have to live her whole life with a misshapen head...but even so...people live with worse and are just fine.
so sweet to care so much.
Orignal From: Will newborn's head remain in this "backwards cone" shape?
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