Every birth is special. And I don't mean this in a mushy, sentimental sense, I mean it quite literally. Each and every birth results in a baby (or in some cases, more than one) who is genetically different from everyone else currently in existence. It's a scientific miracle, for lack of a better term. But as special as every birth is, some are certainly more unique than others.
And that's because anomalies can and do occur. It's no real surprise when you think about it. The process of a baby being born is a pretty complicated one, and it sort of has to be. Prenatal infants are incredibly vulnerable and so Mother Nature goes above and beyond to protect their delicate bodies long before they are brought into the world.
And speaking of protecting unborn babies in the womb, if you're vaguely aware of the female anatomy during pregnancy, you may be aware that the amniotic sac serves this very purpose. You know, the little fluid-filled housing unit in the uterus that allows the baby to move and float about while shielding it from potential injuries.
But you may be less aware of the fact that some babies - admittedly very few - are born while still inside the amniotic sac. This rare phenomenon is often referred to as an "en-caul" birth and occurs when the birth of a baby does not result in the breaking of the amniotic sac, otherwise known as a woman's "waters breaking".
To put into perspective just how unusual this phenomenon is: fewer than one in every 80,000 births is en-caul, BabyMed reports.
And recently, a birth of this nature has been the focus of many people's attention thanks to a series of very striking images featuring newborn, Noah Valasco.
In these fascinating photos, baby Noah can be seen with his amniotic sac still very much intact following his birth via cesarean section at Praia da Costa Hospital in the Brazilian state of Espirito Santo.
Interestingly, en-caul births are even more uncommon when a cesarean section is performed as the scalpel used by doctors usually pierces the sac.
The pictures were shot by photographer Jana Brasil who focuses her work on capturing raw moments within the delivery room. Unsurprisingly, they soon started accumulating thousands of likes and comments.
Per The Daily Mail, Brasil told reporters."It's indescribable to register that moment. Last year I took photos of babies in the sacs, I have two awards. But nothing like the photo of Noah, it surprised me. I thought I had been through all the emotions, but he pulled a face and did a little pout."
The newborn's 34-year-old mother, Monyck Valasco, revealed how she felt when she saw her baby for the first time. "I saw him being born," she recalled. "They lowered the screen so I could see. I cried a lot. It's an emotion that has no size."
The day after Noah was born, his parents shared photos of their baby outside of his amniotic sac.
It is believed that Noah is still in the hospital, but he will be going home with his parents sometime this week.
We would like to take this opportunity to wish baby Noah and his family all the best for the future.
This article originally featured on Craft Factory and has been shared with permission.
