Originally posted by the fool

If a baby's head was the leading cause of mortality rate in mothers, then according to evolution, this trait or characteristic shouldn't pass on.


Reagarding your comment:

"Babies also have their skull in fragments so their head isn't rigid when born, allowing them to be 'squeeze' out."

Pardon me, but this seems to be quite silly. I think, its the other way round. I think it's because of the fact that the bones in a baby's head is underdeveloped that you don't squeeze the baby's head out. If you don't believe me, ask your local doctor.

First of all, the size a baby's head really isn't the cause of mothers dying during birth, it is the size of their pelvis but I'll continue to use your reason, the head size, for this post to prove my point.

In evolution, the only way a trait doesn't get passed onto the next generation is if the organisms who have that trait don't have viable offspring. 'Good' traits that allow them to adapt well to their environment gives them a better chance of surviving and producing offspring, that is how 'good' traits become more frequent. A large head doesn't stop someone from being able to survive and have children (unless of course they may be seen as less attractive, but there is usually someone who would sleep with them). That is why the trait survives.

The same applies to pelvis size. They still survive and have children (or of course just the one) no matter what size pelvis they have.

About the baby heads being in fragments. I put squeeze in inverted commas for lack of a better word. I didn't mean that the baby's head gets squashed but rather it can slightly flex and become more of the shape of vaginal entrance. If you've ever seen a baby straight after birth, it's head isn't perfectly round and slightly out of shape, which varies from child to child. Some times they come out with cone shaped heads and even the bones in the head cross over.

My mother is a nurse and has delivered several babies and taken care of many more soon after birth. That is why I know. I suggest YOU see your local doctor.