What is a caesarean section?
Sometimes a baby cannot be born normally through the vagina and so it has to be surgically removed from the mother’s womb. This operation is called a caesarean section, and it is normally only carried out when there is a risk to the baby or the mother. A common reason for carrying out a caesarean section is when the umbilical cord becomes wrapped around the baby’s neck during the birth. There is a risk to the baby’s life if it is not born very quickly.
How are twins produced?
Twins may be absolutely identical, or only as similar as a typical brother or sister. Identical twins are produced when the embryo splits into two in the early stages of its development. This produces two identical children of the same sex. Non-identical twins are produced when two eggs are released at the same time, and both are fertilized. They can be the same sex, or brother and sister. One in 83 pregnancies results in twins. Identical twins look so alike they can only be told apart by fingerprints.
Why does a new baby have a hole in the top of its skull?
Even a tiny baby’s head is too large to pass through the gap in the mother’s pelvis. A baby’s head is flexible so it can be squeezed out of shape as it passes through the pelvis. This is made easier because some bones in the baby’s head are not knitted together, and some of them are still made of rubbery cartilage. The tip of the baby’s head is the last place where the bones join. For weeks or months after the birth there is a soft patch on top of the skull where the bones have not yet fused together.
Pictures Credit: Google