Recently, a photo of an en-caul birth taken by birth photographer Leilani Rogers was hailed as one of the best by the International Association of Professional Birth Photographers. The picture captured the exact moment of the baby’s birth, and the baby appears rather poignant. An en-caul birth is when a baby is born with the amniotic sac intact. And, if you haven’t heard about the phenomenon, then you might want to read on for more.
An en-caul birth or birth in amniotic sac is an extremely rare phenomenon. The amniotic sac balloons out with the amniotic fluid still inside the membrane, which might be partially broken or still intact.
On the other hand, there is also ‘caul’ birth which shouldn’t be confused with an ‘en caul’ birth. A caul birth involves an infant born with the head and the face covered with a membrane. It occurs in less than 1 out of 80,000 births. The membrane can be removed off by the nurse or a midwife and it is totally harmless to the baby. An en-caul birth is more frequent than a caul birth. Most en caul births also occur prematurely.
There are two types of cauls. One that is the most common is where the membrane adheres to the face and the head while looped around the ears of the baby. The membrane is a thin translucent lining that is derived from the inner amnion as it ruptures away and adheres tightly to the head during delivery. The other kind of caul is where it drapes over the head and a little under the torso. In this type, the membrane could be very thick resembling a cocoon and removing the membrane could be more complex. This kind of caul is known as a Galea or ‘helmet’ for boys. In Poland, such a caul is called Czepek or ‘bonnet’ for both boys and girls. In Italy, the caul is called a Vitta or ‘fillet’, otherwise also called a camicia or ‘shirt’ for girls. As such a caul in Latin is called Caput galeatum which means ‘head helmet’.
The removal of the caul, if correctly performed will involve a small incision in the membrane across the nostrils to allow the child to breathe first. Later, the loops are carefully removed from behind the ears. The remainder of the caul can then be peeled back from the skin carefully or can be gently rubbed off with a sheet of paper. The membrane shouldn’t be removed too quickly or roughly, as it could leave wounds in the flesh of the baby, which could later become permanent scars.
What do they do with the caul? Well, if you can recall the classic David Copperfield by Charles Dickens, the caul in which David was born was apparently put up for a raffle. Not that your doctor will do that. The medical practitioners either hand it over to the parents, or the parents may not be told that their child is born with a caul depending on the hospital’s policy.
In popular belief, babies born with a caul are known to possess the gift of clairvoyance or have supernatural abilities. These babies are usually referred to as ‘caul bearers’. Others associate the caul as a sign of good luck. Napoleon, Sigmund Freud, and Lord Byron are few famous names that were born with a caul.
As for the above image by Leilani, she did not have the chance to see the caul but only through the lens. As she kept clicking, she had no time to see what she had captured until after the birth.
