Not what you are expecting

A while ago, I saw a new mummy with her gorgeous baby, and whilst examining the baby, my midwifery brain kicked in. We are specifically trained to look at new babies to spot unusual characteristics, which by themselves are usually just noted, but together can add up to something more.

I noted the baby had lovely almond-shaped eyes and quite a round face, but compared to mum, she had the same eye shape. I was niggled, though, and struggled with whether to mention my thoughts to the mother.

I decided that sharing my thoughts was important, so I mentioned to mum I was interested in her baby's eye shape, as sometimes they can indicate syndromes such as Down's, but as she had the same eye shape, I was not particularly concerned. The baby was 3 months old, so I was reassuring myself that this would have been something already picked up if other health professionals were concerned.

Fast forward some time later, the baby was seen for another issue, and the mother mentioned my comments to a paediatrician who was not concerned either. However, the mother requested testing, and now it has been confirmed.

This mummy kindly wrote to me to thank me for sharing my thoughts, as she is sure that she would still not have been diagnosed if I had not mentioned this to her.

The take-home message for me is it is important to be brave and discuss things which make you uncomfortable, but we should trust our training and instincts as health professionals and parents.