COULD THE HUSBAND'S PINCHING OF HIS WIFE'S HEAD DURING PREGNANCY CAUSE THE INFANT TO BE BORN WITH ANENCEPHALY? A SERIOUS QUERY IN 1809

[摘要] In 1809 Dr. P. J. Stryker of Somerset, New Jersey, asked the editor of the Philadelphia Medical Museum this question.1On the\_day of\_I was requested to visit Mrs. F. in labour. Her pains [were] regular and of sufficient force, the os tincae [was] handsomely dilated, and much water [was] protruding the membranes; in the intervals between the pains [I] endeavoured to ascertain what part of the child presented; but could only satisfy myself that the presentation was not natural. I determined to introduce my hand, break the membranes, take advantage of the abundance of water to examine more accurately the part presenting, and then act agreeably to the exigencies of the case. The presenting part was, in fact, what must be termed the head, and the child was delivered with much facility: it proved an uncommonly large female, and, at the instant after delivery, lively and strong; in so much that, before I had time to reflect, [I] feared it would survive. The whole of the part of the cranium or brain case with its usual contents, which is naturally covered with hairy scalp, was absolutely wanting, and the foramen magnum occipitis covered with a bloody excrescence; its face and every other part perfectly formed. It lived, perhaps, three or four minutes, rolling its large full eyes about most part of the time. This was Mrs. F.'s fourth child; all daughters.Mr. F. was a gentleman of uncommon vivacity, and frequently, during Mrs. F.'s pregnancy, when he came in her room and found no third person present, would walk up to her, seize her cranium with his fingers extended, and observe humorously, "that if she presented him with another daughter instead of a son, thus he would pinch it in the head."

[学科分类] 儿科学