Woman terrified after giving birth to baby with head shaped like rugby ball

Jessica Corner fell pregnant with her second child and says she was overjoyed, but as she gave birth, the mum was left feeling sick to her stomach in fear for her new baby

A woman whose baby was born with a head that looked like a “rugby ball” has shared her concerns and is now on a mission to raise awareness.

Jessica Corner fell pregnant with her second child and says she was overjoyed, but as she gave birth, the mum was left feeling sick to her stomach in fear. The 36-year-old, from Rochester, Kent, immediately noticed her baby’s “rugby ball”-looking head and worried that something terrible had happened during labour.

While doctors weren’t initially concerned, the mum’s fears grew as little Oliver, now aged two, started having “debilitating” headaches and issues with hitting his milestones, such as sitting up, crawling and walking. Now, she’s sharing their ordeal in a bid to raise awareness and warn other parents to always seek answers before it’s too late.

“I tried to admire him whenever he slept peacefully, but I couldn’t shake the fact that his head looked like a rugby ball,” the primary school teacher said. “My gut feeling was telling me that something was amiss and the shape of his head – elongated at the back and pointed – really bothered me. “It was agonising for us as parents to go through, as we wanted our little baby to be OK.

“When his condition kept getting worse and he was crying for hours on end due to the pain, as well as being unable to sit up unaided, crawl or walk, I couldn’t take it anymore. “My emotions were all over the place and all I wanted was an answer.”

Jessica and her fiancé, James, 44, claim that nothing unusual was picked up during their routine scans, but were advised to have an emergency c-section at only 36 weeks due to the placenta not working properly. Initially, due to the premature birth, she was told to massage her baby’s head in a bid to help “reshape” it into place – a suggestion which “horrified” the mum and led her to believe that she was being “fobbed off”.

But when she took Oliver to see another paediatrician for a check-up, he was diagnosed with sagittal craniosynostosis, a condition where the bones of the skull fuse together prematurely. He was referred to have surgery immediately in July 2023 to remove part of and reshape his skull before it was too late.

If his condition had been highlighted sooner, she claims that a simple procedure involving placing a small spring into the skull could have been carried out – but due to “being ignored”, Oliver had to go through a gruelling six-hour operation instead. She said: “It was heartbreaking having to see my little baby go into such an intense surgery with an unknown outcome.

“But I knew that it was best for him – despite the painful wait. He had to go through the more invasive procedure where they cut and removed part of the skull due to his age. It was crucial for his well-being and development as if left untreated, he would be at a high risk of brain damage. I wasn’t going to let that happen.”

While the plucky tot suffered swelling and discomfort following surgery, he quickly recovered – with his head becoming an “average” size and shape within a few days. Now, the mum is hoping to share her son’s story in a bid to raise awareness and to let other parents who are going through a similar situation know that there is a solution.

Jessica added: “I knew from the day he was born that I had been constantly fobbed off. He’s now progressing really well and is such a happy, excited little boy. His development is on track and his speech has notably improved. It’s so important to advocate when you think something could be wrong with your child and I really thank all the doctors involved that have helped. It was a traumatic journey, but one that has taught me resilience and how much a mother’s love can really do.”

Alison Herron, Director of Midwifery at Medway NHS Foundation Trust, said: ”We sincerely apologise to Miss Corner for any anxiety and distres