ππ BABY FACT ππ
During a vaginal birth, pressure on a baby's head may cause it to "mold" into a cone or oblong shape making it easier to fit through the birth canal.
This abnormal head shape is a normal part of the childbirth process called "molding" and usually disappears just a few days after birth for most babies.
A newborn's skull bones are soft and flexible which allow for this process. Between the bones there are large gaps called "cranial sutures", and even larger openings (one in the front of the baby's head and one in the back) called "fontanels".
These are the soft spots that you can feel when you touch your baby's head.
The large spaces between the bones will not only allow the head to change shape for birth, but also accommodate the baby's rapidly growing brain which will double in size by the time they hit their first birthday!
Most will fully close by the age of 2, when brain growth reaches about 80% of its full size.
Most babies born to first time moms or labors with a longer pushing stage, will have some degree of head molding after delivery. While babies born by Cesarean section or a quick vaginal birth, more often have rounder heads.
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