Myths Surrounding A Caul Birth

With 1 out of 80000 babies having a Caul Birth, it has to be considered as a rare occurrence. No surprises to the fact that numerous stories or superstitious float around this phenomenon. It is considered to be as something special, it could arise as something startling and it is more than scary for a mother. Just consider it to be a minor or harmless part of a birth process.

The birth caul also goes by the name of head helmet is an amniotic sac that is attached to the face or head of a baby. It also goes by the name of En Caul Birth which does indicate that the baby forms in an amniotic sac (a filmy or a thin membrane) you could also refer to as born with a veil. The caul occurs when the piece of the sac detaches itself from the birth process and sticks on to the head of a baby. The doctor normally peels off the sac without any major issue but in certain cases if it sticks on to the head of the baby they have to be careful as skin on the head could be peeled off.

For many cultures, a baby born with a caul is a symbol of good luck. This belief does arise from the rarity of this condition and the rare occurrence of such an event itself. Throughout history numerous stories have floated around this concept. Roman midwives went on to steal the calls and then sold them to the lawyers. A general belief was that they could never lose a case if they had one in their possession. This myth slowly extended to other countries of Europe as well. Certain cultures believed that a portion of powdered caul could cure malaria. For example in the country of Dalmatia placing a Caul under the bed of a person was considered to make his passing easier. The caul was only considered to be lucky when it was buried in a field in Belgium. People who worked in coal mines used to carry it along with them to ward off fires.

There is a different school of thought that people born with a caul are lucky and they are immune to drown for the rest of their life. This immunity is lost as soon as you go on to loose possession of a Caul. There was a particular instance in 1939 when a boy went on to lose his life as soon as his mother threw the Caul away. As the general belief was caul prevented a baby from being drowned many families went on to sell Calls for a good sum of money as well.

Yes if you have born with a caul you can consider yourself to be very lucky. The chances are also high that you could be blessed with super natural powers.  Just be aware that it is a natural process of giving birth and most times the birth happens when baby is premature.