You can expect your newborn to have a more rounded head within a few days. Babies born buttocks or feet first or by C-section are more likely to have round heads at birth.
If your baby is born breech (buttocks or feet first) or by cesarean delivery (C-section), the head is most often round. Severe abnormalities in head size are not related to molding.
We found that babies born via planned caesarean section had poorer scores in all five developmental areas at four months of age. The largest differences were noticed in fine motor skills, while the smallest differences were reported in communication as compared to vaginally born babies.
Scientists say the tendency since the 1950s and 1960s to opt for a Caesarean has caused babies to evolve bigger heads. This has then prompted the huge increase in fetopelvic disproportion: when the fetal head is too big – or when the birth canal is too narrow – for natural childbirth.
Furthermore, emergency Cesarean section operations had a greater impact on neonates' sense of touch compared to those born by planned Cesarean section. Children born through emergency Cesarean section were prone to tactile resistance due to the experience of birth trauma.
Summary: Babies born by Caesarean section experience changes to the DNA pool in their white blood cells, which could be connected to altered stress levels during this method of delivery.
With a c-section, babies don't get the squeeze and will have extra fluid to contend with. This may mean that they experience difficulty breathing, cough up extra fluids, or sound "juicy" as they breathe in the first few days. >>
A baby born through the vaginal canal picks up critical microbes along the way that help it stay healthy later in life. But babies delivered via cesarean section miss out on those useful, gut-colonizing bacteria, which may put them at greater risk of developing certain health conditions and developmental disorders.
A C-section can also cause problems for babies, like breathing difficulties that need treatment in a newborn intensive care unit. Recovering after a C-section is also more difficult than after a vaginal birth. C-sections can also cause certain ongoing problems.
When babies are born their skulls are soft, which helps them pass through the birth canal. It can take 9-18 months before a baby's skull is fully formed. During this time some babies develop positional plagiocephaly.
This is called plagiocephaly and is quite common in babies, as their skull bones are soft and can reshape. The flat area may be at the side or back of your baby's head. This usually happens as babies tend to lie on their backs or with their head to one side for much of the time.
There is usually no reason to worry about changes in a baby's head shape. It's normal for babies' heads to be misshapen after birth and in the first few months of life. This is because a newborn's head is pliable and soft, making it easier for the skull to move through the birth canal.
In short, slightly misshapen heads are quite common right after birth. Fortunately, over the next several weeks the bones of your baby's skull will almost assuredly round out and the ridges will disappear—assuming, that is, that your baby doesn't spend too much time on their back with his head in any one position.
Babies born by Caesarean section have dramatically different gut bacteria to those born vaginally, according to the largest study in the field. The UK scientists say these early encounters with microbes may act as a "thermostat" for the immune system.
Long-Term Effects of C-Sections
Children born by C-section also suffer increased rates of diseases, including asthma, type I diabetes, allergies, obesity, as well as reduced overall cognitive functioning and lower academic performance.
Newborns delivered by C-section tend to harbor in their guts disease-causing microbes commonly found in hospitals (e.g. Enterococcus and Klebsiella), and lack strains of gut bacteria found in healthy children (e.g. Bacteroides species).
Health care providers might recommend a C-section if: Labor isn't progressing normally. Labor that isn't progressing (labor dystocia) is one of the most common reasons for a C-section.
A natural caesarean is a “slowed-down section” with benefits that might include improved bonding between mother and child, easier breastfeeding and calmer infants.
“I feel that cesarean birth is safe for both mother and baby. Blood loss is less than vaginal birth.” “Cesarean birth is faster than vaginal birth.” “Planned cesarean sections are convenient, date and time can be selected, and there is no need to wait for spontaneous labor.
Babies born vaginally are thought to have an edge over those born via cesarean section. They pick up bacteria from their mother's birth canal, which scientists believe helps protect them from asthma, obesity, and other health issues as they grow older.
It is not unusual for a baby's head to look a little lopsided. Because the individual bones of a newborn's skull aren't yet fused together, pressure from resting in the same position can cause an infant's head to be misshapen. This may include a flattened area.
Macrocephaly is a word that means your baby has a larger than normal head circumference. Macrocephaly is often present at birth. The cause can be harmless if you have other family members with larger heads and there aren't any other signs or symptoms present. But macrocephaly can also be a sign of a serious condition.
The first thing moms should know is that its normal for a newborn's head shape to look odd. The bones in your newborn's skull are soft and flexible which helps them during labor and delivery.