{"id":61826,"date":"2025-09-22T17:56:35","date_gmt":"2025-09-22T17:56:35","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/?p=61826"},"modified":"2025-09-22T17:57:03","modified_gmt":"2025-09-22T17:57:03","slug":"born-with-a-veil-what-it-means","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.care.com\/c\/born-with-a-veil-what-it-means\/","title":{"rendered":"What does it mean if a baby is born with a veil?"},"content":{"rendered":"

En caul births — or veiled births, as they’re also referred to — are essentially medical anomalies, occurring in an estimated less than one out of 80,000 live births<\/a>. It’s true when parents-to-be are told “nothing can prepare you for birth,” but that goes double when babies are born with a veil. <\/p>

“An en caul birth is an incredibly rare event where the baby is born encased in their amniotic sac,” explains Dr. Kecia Gaither<\/a>, who’s double board-certified in OB-GYN and maternal-fetal medicine and the director of perinatal services at NYC Health + Hospitals in the Bronx.<\/p>

“An en caul birth is an incredibly rare event where the baby is born encased in their amniotic sac.”<\/p>— Dr. Kecia Gaither, OB\/GYN and maternal-fetal medicine physician <\/cite><\/blockquote><\/figure>

Given its scarcity, a veiled birth also renders it incredibly special — even for experienced professionals. “I’ve witnessed two births en caul throughout my doula career,” says Jennifer Mayer, founder of the doula collective, Baby Caravan<\/a>, in New York City. “And they are quite magical.”<\/p>

Whether you’re parent, parent-to-be or lover of remarkable medical anomalies, read on to find out all about what a veil at birth means.<\/p>

Key takeaways<\/h3>