Despite their short life, infants with deformities attracted a great deal of attention.  With the invention of the printing press, cheap broadsides, or sheets of paper, could be printed advertising the birth.  These would often include a picture (which might be exaggerated), a description, and a poem or song lyrics.37  These broadsides were meant to entertain and attract crowds.

It is likely that the events and individuals profiled in broadsides did exist, rather than being created for entertainment purposes.  The congenital disorders described in the accounts correspond with modern conditions, although the pictures are not always accurate to the case.