Caul, or Face Veil, Occasionally Present at Birth

Q:  I have a friend whose mother and grandmother claim that they were born with a veil covering their face. They claim it is a piece of skin that has to be removed.

Have you ever heard of this, and is this common? Other than a superstitious belief, is there such a thing?

A:  Taber's Cyclopedic Medical Dictionary defines a caul as "membranes or portions of the amnion covering the head of the fetus at birth."

According to some, the following famous people, both real and fictional, were born with a caul: Charles Dickens’ David in "David Copperfield," Alexander the Great, Shakespeare's Hamlet, the mother of the Dionne quintuplets, and Danny in Stephen King's "The Shining." (An illustration of Danny with the caul appeared on one of King's original paperback versions.)

Dwight Cruikshank, MD, Professor and Chairman of Obstetrics and Gynecology at the Medical College of Wisconsin, told me that being born with a caul is very rare these days, probably occurring in fewer than 1 in 1000 births, and is usually present only in premature babies. Dr. Cruikshank estimates that he has seen less than 10 babies with a caul over the life of his career.

"Dear Doctor" is a compilation of patient questions answered by doctors from the Medical College of Wisconsin.