New research has shown that even the most textbook pregnancies still have a certain risk of birth injuries to newborns. A team of researchers in the Department of Neurosurgery at the Ajou University School of Medicine in South Korea found that even pregnancies with limited complications still have a potential for incomplete fractures of the skull as the head of the fetus passes through the birth canal.

Based on their research, the process of natural childbirth poses certain risks because the force of labor is trying to overcome the resistant forces of the birth canal. "The fetal head passes through the birth canal and the skull receives pressure on the lateral aspect, resulting in molding, the convex shaping of the cranium." According to researchers, these forces produce the cortex shape of a baby's head due to the somewhat pliable texture of the skull. What worry many researchers is that such forces can ultimately create incomplete skull fractures that can produce brain and birth injuries.

These researchers believe that many of the skull fractures found in newborns appear as incomplete fractures. The problem with these types of fractures is that they are difficult to identify with standard x-rays. Therefore, the possibility of un-diagnosis of these fractures may be much higher than originally expected. Ultimately, these types of brain injuries may be occurring more frequently and could contribute to the future development of brain disease in these children later in life.

In conclusion, authors of this study suggest that "very close examination" should be used to determine the presence of birth injuries or brain injuries in babies who suffered incomplete skull fractures during natural childbirth.

Their findings were published in the Journal of Medical Hypotheses.

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