Welcome to the world of 10 gross horrible discoveries that will make you question everything you thought you knew about newborns. From hidden teeth to mysterious fluids, we dive into the quirkiest, most unsettling details that turn the cute factor up to eleven. Buckle up, because parenting just got a lot more interesting.

10 Gross Horrible Facts About Babies

10 Babies Have Two Sets Of Teeth

We’ve all gone through the rite of passage that involves baby teeth, the Tooth Fairy, and the eventual arrival of adult molars. The twist? Those adult teeth don’t just appear out of thin air after we lose the milk chompers. In fact, the entire set of baby teeth is already formed before we even take our first breath.

Once we’re born, a hidden army of permanent teeth begins its quiet invasion, nesting in tiny pockets behind the primary set. They patiently wait until the baby teeth tumble out, at which point they emerge, ready to take over the chewing department. This stealthy swap means a newborn’s gummy grin is actually a secret stash of future dentition.

So the next time you marvel at that innocent, toothless smile, remember you’re looking at a miniature dental workshop, packed with both baby and adult teeth, biding their time behind the scenes.

9 Babies Have More Bones Than Adults

Babies roll into the world with roughly 300 tiny bones, a stark contrast to the 206 solid structures adults eventually end up with. This surplus exists because many of those early bones are actually flexible cartilage plates destined to fuse together as the child grows.

The reason for this bony abundance is practical: a newborn’s skeleton needs to be pliable enough to squeeze through the birth canal. The skull, in particular, is composed of several separate plates that can shift and overlap, granting the head the necessary give‑and‑take during delivery.

Those overlapping plates create soft spots—known as fontanels—where the bone hasn’t yet sealed. While essential for birth, these openings can become a double‑edged sword later on.

If a baby spends too much time resting on the back of a soft spot, the pressure can flatten the skull, giving it a soufflé‑like appearance. Prolonged flattening may even reshape the entire head into a teardrop silhouette.

Fortunately, simple interventions—like giving the infant more tummy time—or, in more severe cases, custom‑made helmets can help correct the deformation and guide the skull back to a healthier contour.

8 Babies Have Huge Eyes

There’s something undeniably magical about the way a newborn’s eyes lock onto you, wide and full of wonder. Those orbs spark an instinctual urge to protect, making us coo, gasp, and melt all at once.

But if you take a closer look, you’ll notice those eyes are almost oversized. A newborn’s ocular size is already about 70 percent of an adult’s, meaning they’re practically full‑grown from day one.

Combine those massive peepers with the fact that babies also carry two full sets of teeth in their tiny jaws, and you have a head that must be proportionally larger—about a quarter of the baby’s total body length—to accommodate everything.

7 Babies Start To Taste And Smell Before Birth

It’s no secret that babies love to shove anything they can grasp into their mouths. What many parents don’t realize is that this sensory quest begins well before they take their first breath.

Inside the womb, the amniotic fluid acts as a flavorful soup, absorbing whatever the mother consumes—vanilla, carrots, anise, mint, even garlic. Research shows that fetuses can detect and even develop a preference for these flavors, meaning they arrive on the scene already primed for certain tastes.

The fluid itself might be a bit icky, but it serves as a rich tasting ground. And the surprises don’t stop there: newborns sport taste buds not only on their tongues but also along the back of the throat, right down to the tonsils, giving them a full‑body palate.

So, while it may feel like a cruel joke, those early taste‑and‑smell adventures are actually a sophisticated way for the baby to start mapping the world of flavors before ever meeting solid food.

6 Babies Are Born Covered In Thick, White Goop

The womb is a constantly moist environment, but the amniotic fluid’s acidity isn’t exactly skin‑friendly. To shield delicate newborn skin, nature equips babies with a protective coating known as vernix.

Vernix is a creamy, cheese‑like substance that looks like a thick, white blanket. It does more than just keep the skin from drying out; it dampens sound, provides insulation, and even acts as a natural lubricant during the birthing process.

Trying to scrub every last speck of vernix off a newborn is practically impossible, and many parents end up feeling a pang of loss when they finally see the baby’s skin uncovered. That coating also helps lock in moisture, keeping the baby’s epidermis supple.

Once the vernix finally disappears, the newborn’s skin begins to dry, and within one to three weeks the first layer of skin typically peels away, leaving a flaky, sometimes crusty surface—quite the opposite of the “soft as a baby’s bottom” myth we grew up hearing.

5 Babies Menstruate

While still nestled in the womb, a baby absorbs a cocktail of hormones from the mother, including estrogen. Newborns, however, lack the capacity to produce these hormones on their own, causing estrogen levels to plummet shortly after birth.

That sudden drop triggers the shedding of the uterine lining—a miniature version of a menstrual cycle. For babies with a uterus, this means they can experience a tiny period within days of entering the world.

Imagine the panic when a parent discovers fresh blood in a newborn’s diaper and rushes to the ER, only to learn that the infant is simply “menstruating” at two days old. It’s a bewildering, yet perfectly normal, physiological response.

4 Babies Are Covered In Hair

Most expect a newborn to emerge bald and smooth, but some babies arrive looking like tiny wolf pups, covered in a fine, soft hair called lanugo. This hair acts as an insulating blanket, helping to keep the fetus warm inside the womb.

Lanugo also plays a role in anchoring the vernix coating, ensuring that the protective goo stays put during the birthing process. Most babies shed this hair before birth, letting it dissolve into the amniotic fluid, but a few retain a noticeable fuzz for a short while after delivery.

3 Babies Pee In The Womb And Then Drink It

Around the tenth week of gestation, a fetus’s bladder becomes functional, allowing the baby to start excreting urine into the surrounding amniotic fluid. This urine becomes part of the fluid’s composition, adding a new element to the baby’s liquid environment.

Five weeks later, the developing baby gains the ability to swallow. From that point on, the infant ingests several ounces of amniotic fluid each day—urine and all—providing a continuous cycle of intake and excretion that helps condition the newborn’s digestive system even before birth.

2 Babies Sometimes Poop In Utero, Too

The first stool a baby produces is called meconium, a thick, tar‑like substance that typically appears after birth. In some cases, however, the infant releases meconium while still in the womb or during the birth canal passage.

Meconium is primarily composed of swallowed amniotic fluid, along with mucus, bile, and lanugo—the fine hair shed before birth. This mixture creates a dark, somewhat unpleasant material that can be alarming for parents and medical staff alike.

When meconium is expelled before or during delivery, it can obstruct the newborn’s airways, leading to breathing difficulties. Nurses must quickly suction the baby’s mouth and nose to clear the passages, ensuring the infant can take its first breaths without obstruction.

1 Science Says You Should Probably Poop On Your Baby During Birth

Most expectant mothers dread the idea of having a bowel movement during labor, but emerging research suggests that a little poop might actually benefit the newborn.

The pelvic muscles used for defecation are the same ones employed to push during delivery. When the baby gets a coating of fecal matter, it indicates that those muscles are working in unison—an encouraging sign that the birth is progressing well.

Beyond the mechanics, exposure to maternal stool can jump‑start the infant’s microbiome, seeding the gut with helpful bacteria that aid digestion and bolster the immune system. Since newborns start life with a nearly sterile gut, this natural “starter kit” can be crucial for healthy development.

For this microbiome boost to occur, some of the stool must make its way into the baby’s mouth, a process that sounds uncomfortable but ultimately supports the child’s long‑term health.

Renee is an Atlanta‑based graphic designer who enjoys researching strange topics and writing the occasional list.

The journey of pregnancy is filled with anticipation, dreams, and promises—until, in a heart‑stopping instant, a baby is declared stillborn. Yet, against medical odds and the shadow of death, a handful of infants have clawed their way back to life, turning tragedy into triumph within mere hours of birth. Below are ten astonishing accounts that illustrate how the line between loss and life can sometimes blur in the most miraculous ways.

10 Miraculous Stories of Babies Who Cheated Death

10 Yasmin Gomes

On July 9, 2013, 22‑year‑old Jenifer da Silva Gomes went into labor at a hospital in Londrina, Brazil, and gave birth to a daughter she named Yasmin. Mere minutes after emerging, the infant stopped breathing, prompting doctors to declare her dead and even print a death certificate at 11:00 AM.

One compassionate nurse, unwilling to see the newborn sent to a morgue, carefully carried the tiny body to the hospital’s chapel, where she could be respectfully wrapped. Hours later, as Yasmin’s grandmother and the mortician arrived to collect the child for a funeral, they discovered the baby’s eyes fluttering open. The miracle‑worker was swiftly transferred to intensive care, where she began to recover and was later reported as healthy.

Robert Grimminck, a Canadian freelance writer, chronicled this extraordinary case. You can follow his work on social platforms such as Facebook, Twitter, and Pinterest, or visit his personal website for more stories.

9 Rose Servin

In April 1923, Rose Servin arrived at a New York City hospital to deliver her first child. The newborn boy appeared lifeless, leaving Rose devastated. Dr. J.A. Tepperson, however, detected faint signs of vitality and whisked the infant to a separate room to focus on resuscitation.

After two hours of intensive effort, the medical team resorted to a daring technique: injecting adrenaline directly into the baby’s heart. The result was immediate—color returned, the heartbeat surged, and within half an hour the infant was breathing normally and his body warmed up. Both mother and child were discharged a few days later, marking what was then the longest recorded interval between clinical death and successful revival.

8 Unnamed Baby Girl

On the chilly morning of February 17, 2013, a 20‑year‑old pregnant woman in Toronto, Ontario, felt the onset of labor just 500 meters from a local hospital. She gave birth on the sidewalk, and the newborn girl, initially deemed stillborn, was rushed to the emergency department. The cold, combined with an ambient temperature of –15 °C (5 °F), led staff to pronounce her dead, covering her with a blanket while police guarded the body awaiting the coroner.

After an hour and 45 minutes, officers noticed faint movement beneath the sheet. Upon uncovering the infant, they felt a pulse and summoned medical assistance. The baby was admitted to intensive care and, after a few weeks, released home. Hospital officials later determined that severe hypothermia had masked vital signs, prompting procedural reviews to prevent similar misdiagnoses.

7 James Engstrom

Bonnie Engstrom’s third pregnancy progressed without incident until labor struck at her Peoria, Illinois home in 2010, assisted by midwives. When baby James entered the world, he was bluish, unresponsive, and not breathing. The midwife immediately began CPR while an ambulance was summoned; meanwhile, Bonnie’s husband performed a water baptism, naming the child James Fulton in honor of Bishop Fulton Sheen.

While waiting roughly twenty minutes for emergency responders, the family prayed fervently to Bishop Fulton. Upon arrival, doctors continued resuscitation for over an hour. Eventually, James’s heart began beating, and he breathed unaided. Though physicians warned of potential severe organ damage, the infant spent seven weeks in the hospital, emerging without noticeable lasting effects.

In 2002, a campaign to canonize Bishop Fulton required two verified miracles. A Vatican panel of seven medical experts reviewed James’s case in May 2014 and found no scientific explanation for his revival or the absence of permanent injury. The case now awaits further Vatican scrutiny, positioning James as a potential miracle that could bring Fulton one step closer to sainthood.

6 Logan Carroll

When Tami Carroll entered labor in April 1995, she carried the lingering trauma of a sibling who had died at birth in 1993. The pregnancy itself was smooth, and the infant’s heartbeat remained steady until delivery. At 4:47 PM on April 6, baby Logan was born unresponsive; by 5:15 PM, clinicians declared him dead and allowed the grieving family a moment to say goodbye.

Over an hour later, as Tami’s mother cradled the tiny body, Logan began to move. The attending physician attributed the activity to “agonal breathing,” a reflexive response to medication, yet by 5:55 PM—an hour and 18 minutes after birth—Logan was breathing unaided. Subsequent examinations confirmed his vitality. Though later diagnosed with cerebral palsy, Logan has led a rich, fulfilling life.

5 Ella Claxton

During a summer 2010 delivery at a Peterborough, England hospital, Rachel Claxton’s placenta ruptured, abruptly cutting off oxygen and blood to her newborn daughter, Ella. This catastrophic event threatened the infant with hypoxic‑ischemic encephalopathy, a condition that can cause severe brain injury.

Doctors fought for 25 minutes before finally detecting a heartbeat. They then encased Ella in a liquid‑filled cooling blanket, lowering her core temperature from 37 °C to 33.5 °C (98.6 °F to 92 °F). Induced hypothermia reduced cerebral swelling, and after three days of controlled cooling, the blanket was removed. Ella was discharged eight days later and, nine months post‑birth, was developing normally, though she may require physiotherapy in the future.

4 Robin Cyr

At approximately 3:00 AM on March 9, 2014, 34‑year‑old Robin Cyr delivered her fourth child at a Halifax, Nova Scotia hospital. Complications caused the baby girl to become wedged in the birth canal, severing her blood and oxygen supply. Upon extraction, the infant was not breathing and was declared dead after 28 minutes, with her body wheeled out of the delivery room.

Two minutes later, a nurse returning to the scene was stunned to see the baby breathing again. The surgeon, unable to explain the sudden revival, simply called it a miracle. Robin named her daughter Mireya—Spanish for “miracle.” Within three months, Mireya was a healthy, lively infant, defying the earlier prognosis.

3 Jacob Tomkin

Laura Tomkin, residing in Hatfield Peverel, England, underwent IVF in 2014. On May 30, 2015, at 38 weeks, labor was induced. The newborn boy let out a single cry, but once the umbilical cord was cut, he turned gray, ceased moving, and lost vital signs. Doctors immediately began resuscitation efforts.

For a harrowing 22 minutes—the longest stretch of his life—physicians worked tirelessly to restart his heart. Miraculously, the infant began breathing on his own. The attending doctor estimated a mere 1 percent chance of survival. Four weeks later, the parents, Laura and her partner Abbie, brought the baby home, naming him Jacob. While doctors suspect minor brain injury, Jacob’s family cherishes every moment, grateful for his unexpected return.

2 David Ring

On October 28, 1953, Leron Ring gave birth to a son, David, who was initially declared stillborn. While nurses focused on saving Leron—who was hemorrhaging and also thought to be dead—a nurse noticed movement from the infant’s tiny body. When staff checked, they found David alive as well.

Though David suffered an 18‑minute oxygen deprivation, resulting in cerebral palsy affecting his fine motor skills and speech, he survived. He later became a Christian minister and motivational speaker, famously declaring, “I have cerebral palsy… What’s your problem?” He authored an autobiography titled The Boy Born Dead, sharing his remarkable journey.

1 Mary Ellen James

After six years of yearning for pregnancy, Mary Ellen James finally conceived, only to miscarry once and endure unsuccessful fertility treatments. A year after abandoning those treatments, she discovered she was pregnant again. On October 31, 1989, at just 12 weeks gestation, she went into labor at a Boca Raton, Florida hospital, delivering a baby girl who appeared stillborn.

The attending physician began chest compressions, but the infant showed no response for twelve agonizing minutes. Suddenly, her heart started beating. After three additional minutes of massage, the newborn, named Jennifer, began breathing on her own. By December, she had doubled her weight and, despite her tiny size, was healthy. Remarkably, Jennifer was discharged home just two days after Christmas 1989 and grew up enjoying a normal childhood.