A doctor has photographed an extremely rare moment during a birth, showing a baby still encased inside the amniotic sac after it has been removed from the mother's body.
Obstetrician Dr Aris Tsigris published the photo of the newborn on his Facebook page after delivering the baby via caesarean section in Amarousion, north of Athens.
Because the sac had not been punctured, Dr Tsigris said the baby did not even realise it had been born and behaved as if it was still inside the mother's womb.
The amniotic sac is a bag of fluid inside the womb where the unborn baby develops and grows. It is also referred to as the 'membranes', because the sac is made of two membranes called the amnion and the chorion.
The sac is filled with clear, pale fluid, in which the unborn baby floats and moves. The fluid helps to cushion the baby from bumps and injury, as well as providing them with fluids that they can breathe and swallow. The fluid also maintains a constant temperature for the baby.
Dr Tsigris said the chance of the amniotic sac remaining completely intact after birth was 'ultra rare' and he was left 'breathless' by the sight of the newborn.
The doctor said there was no risk to the baby as it was still feeding off the placenta and would begin to breathe as soon as the sac was broken.