Abdominal or cesarean (c-section) en caul births are sometimes done intentionally using surgical techniques.
A vaginal en caul delivery is rare but can happen.
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What Happens in an en Caul Birth?
Ariel Skelley / Getty Images
(Thats why an en caul birth is also called a mermaid birth).
Vaginal en caul births are very rare.
Is a Caul Birth the Same as an en Caul Birth?
An en caul birth is not the same as a caul birth.
The provider or midwife can remove this membrane.
A caul birth is not as rare as an en caul birth.
In an en caul birth, the baby stays inside the unopened amniotic sac.
What Normally Happens to the Amniotic Sac During Labor?
Often, this happens randomly (spontaneous rupture of membranes) and when a person is in active labor.
The risk factors for having an en caul birth are not well understood.
Most en caul births occur inpremature birthsand when a person has only had a few pregnancies.
How Rare is a en Caul Birth?
It’s estimated that only 1 in 80,000 babies are born en caul.
Benefits of en Caul Birth
In some cases, there are benefits of an en caul birth.
They may believe that an en caul birth is a sign of good luck.
Others feel that being born in a veil means the baby will be protected or achieve greatness.
Others may refer to the superstition or incorrect belief that a person born en caul can never drown.
Is en Caul Birth Dangerous?
The risks of a preterm en caul birth are similar to preterm births that are not en caul.
Sometimes, providers will do it on purposefor example, to help protect a very premature baby.
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Robertson J.The caul, an object of sailor’s superstitions.
