The newborn baby in the postnatal ward was quite cute. But most of the newborns are cute. What drew my attention to this baby was a mark on its forehead. I leaned close and inspected it. It was a curved double edged red mark, of the size and shape of distal edge of an obstetric forceps’ blade. I straightened. The mother was watching my face anxiously.
“Nice hair” I said and smiled as I touched the baby’s cheek. The mother smiled too. We moved on with the ward round. When we were out of earshot of the woman, I asked my Registrar, “what was that mark on the baby’s forehead?”
“Um… er… it is forceps mark.”
“Who applied forceps to the baby?” I asked.
“I did” she said.
“But there should not be a mark if the application is correct cephalic” I said.
“…….”
“It is my theory that Harry Potter had an obstetric forceps mark on his forehead, which the wizards proclaimed to be the result of the dark lord’s curse.”
“…..” either she had not read Harry Potter or thought it wise not to contradict me.
We saw the same baby two days later. I checked its forehead.
“The mark is gone” I said.
“Yes, Sir” my Registrar sounded happy.
“Won’t be another Harry Potter, what?”
“No, Sir.”
“Nice hair” I said and smiled as I touched the baby’s cheek. The mother smiled too. We moved on with the ward round. When we were out of earshot of the woman, I asked my Registrar, “what was that mark on the baby’s forehead?”
“Um… er… it is forceps mark.”
“Who applied forceps to the baby?” I asked.
“I did” she said.
“But there should not be a mark if the application is correct cephalic” I said.
“…….”
“It is my theory that Harry Potter had an obstetric forceps mark on his forehead, which the wizards proclaimed to be the result of the dark lord’s curse.”
“…..” either she had not read Harry Potter or thought it wise not to contradict me.
We saw the same baby two days later. I checked its forehead.
“The mark is gone” I said.
“Yes, Sir” my Registrar sounded happy.
“Won’t be another Harry Potter, what?”
“No, Sir.”
