The results show that shrinkage and biparietal flattening of the skull occur during the first week of life in preterm and term infants born by caesarean section and in preterm infants born vaginally. This fact should be borne in mind when comparing the measurements of an infant's head size with published norms.
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. Mayo Clinic does not endorse companies or products.
(Medical Xpress)—A small team of researchers with members from Austria and the U.S. has found statistical evidence that an increase in the number of mothers giving birth via C-section over the past several decades has been causing an evolutional change—babies' heads are getting bigger, even as the birth canal size ...
In other cases, a baby's head shape changes after birth. This is a result of pressure on the head when the baby lies in the same position often. Spending too much time lying flat in one position can lead to an uneven head shape well past the time when birth-related lopsidedness evens out.
Babies born by cesarean delivery generally don't display much of a conehead. Thanks to the rising number of cesareans (about 32 percent of all deliveries in the United States), a conehead baby is less commonly seen nowadays.
Previous research has hinted that babies delivered by c-section fail to acquire some of the microbes from their mothers that vaginally delivered children gain. This observation has led some parents to swab infants born by c-section with vaginal fluids, in an attempt to restore any missing microbes.
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.
Pressure inside the birth canal can cause blood to collect under your baby's scalp and cause swelling. This can make your baby's head look stretched out or lopsided. It doesn't usually cause bruising. It may take 1 or 2 weeks for the swelling to go away.
It can take 9-18 months before a baby's skull is fully formed. During this time some babies develop positional plagiocephaly. This means that there is a flat area on the back or side of the head. Positional plagiocephaly does not affect brain growth or development; it is purely a shape issue.
After your C-section, you might look like you're still pregnant. This is normal. Most women lose 13 pounds (6 kilograms) during birth, including the weight of the baby, placenta and amniotic fluid. During your recovery, you'll drop more weight as your body gets rid of excess fluids.
Whether you are planning a scheduled c-section for health or personal reasons, you can work with your doctors' office to decide when you'd like your baby's birthday to be. The date you choose will vary depending on your specific circumstances and the policies of your health care providers and hospital.
Fluid retention:
C-section moms will have even more fluid retention due to fluids given inter-operatively. C-section moms will also have some tummy area swelling from the work they do inside the abdominal area during surgery.
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.
Let your doctor know immediately if you notice anything unusual or different about your baby's head shape, like: your baby's head shape is still misshapen 2 weeks or more after birth. a bulging or swollen spot on your baby's head. a sunken soft spot on your baby's head.
Babies' skulls are soft and moldable until about 4 months of age. Placing a baby in the same position, such as sleeping on the back, for too long can lead to flat head syndrome. Repositioning techniques, if used early and consistently, can prevent or reduce flat spots.
In most cases, your baby's head shape will resolve on its own. Given time and a little effort, your baby's head will grow and return to normal as they begin moving and doing more. Wearing a helmet is also a good way to correct large malformation or flat spots on your baby's head.
Despite popular belief, there is no evidence to suggest that applying pressure on your baby's head during a massage will make it round. Too much pressure can make him uncomfortable, or even hurt him. Some mothers use a horseshoe-shaped pillow in the hope that it will help make their baby's head round.
Family ties: Siblings who are born via C-section or vaginal delivery have a similar likelihood of being diagnosed with autism. Children born by cesarean delivery (C-section) appear to have a slightly increased chance of having autism, but the procedure itself does not underlie the association, a new study suggests.
The bonds that tie a mother to her newborn may be stronger in women who deliver naturally than in those who deliver by cesarean section, according to a study published by Yale School of Medicine researchers in the October issue of Journal of Child Psychology and Psychiatry.
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.
Previous research has shown babies born via C-section are at a slightly higher risk of immune-related conditions such as asthma, inflammatory bowel disease and other allergic conditions, Field said.
You won't feel any pain during the C-section, although you may feel sensations like pulling and pressure. Most women are awake and simply numbed from the waist down using regional anesthesia (an epidural and/or a spinal block) during a C-section. That way, they are awake to see and hear their baby being born.
“It takes a while for babies born through C-section to develop a normal microbiome. And during that time, while the immune system is also developing, they become more at risk for later developing certain diseases like asthma.
During pregnancy, the abdominal muscles stretch apart to accommodate the growing fetus. However, after birth, if these muscles do not go back to their original position and close the gap, the organs behind the muscles bulge out, causing the belly to sag. This is diastasis recti.