Twin Born Still Inside Amniotic Sac In Very Rare Event
A veiled birth – also known as a ‘mermaid’ or ‘en caul’ birth – happens when the baby comes out still inside the intact amniotic sac
Video footage and photos show how a baby girl was born via caesarean section with the amniotic sac still intact, in an incredible one-in-80,000 event. Watch the clip here - WARNING: CONTAINS GRAPHIC CONTENT:
The very rare birth happened on Wednesday 23 March at a hospital in Vinaros, a city in the province of Castellon in Spain's eastern Valencia region.
Gynaecologist and obstetrician Ana Teijelo, who was in charge of the medical team that carried out the C-section, said: "Today at the hospital of Vinaros we had a veiled caesarean section (2nd twin) and here you can see the enthusiasm of the participants."
She added: "Because there are days that make us remember why we're in this. I share it with permission, of course."
A veiled birth - also known as a 'mermaid' or 'en caul' birth - happens when the baby comes out still inside the intact amniotic sac, and is said to occur just once in every 80,000 births.
The amniotic sac is a thin, fluid-filled sac that surrounds the foetus during pregnancy and helps protect it from injury and to regulate temperature so that the unborn child can stay warm. It normally ruptures when someone goes into labour, a process that is often referred to as one's 'waters breaking'.
En caul births are more common during caesareans, often used for twin births, but can also occur in vaginal births.
Teijelo continued: "Beautiful photos, don't you think? The first veiled caesarean section I've seen and I loved it, and I'm not telling the students anything (although I admit that I'm the one screaming). It happens about once every 80,000 deliveries and today our students have had a 10-out-of-10 day.
"The twins when they were born were extremely well. All the staff enjoyed the delivery: midwives, gynaecologists, paediatricians, anaesthesiologists, nurses, nurse technicians, caretakers, students and, of course, the mother. And here are the protagonists, small and large.
"And to leave a memory of this moment, our staff have made a painting for the mother by printing the placentas and it looks beautiful, really. Being good professionals is not at odds with being empathetic (don't be scared when you hear the word placenta, really).
"So to all future doctors, medical students... remember: in all hospitals you can learn a lot. The most important thing is to never lose enthusiasm. A day like today compensates for many others. I will never tire of looking at these photos."
Featured Image Credit: CEN
Topics: World News, News, Spain
Jess Hardiman