They say it's a one-in-a-million thing.
Your baby is born, looking and acting much as babies do. But her belly grows disproportionately to the rest of her body, and at 40 days old she looks pregnant, but with thin arms. What's going on?
It's called fetus in fetu. In other words, this baby had a parasitic twin growing inside her, in her belly. (WARNING: Do NOT Google this term unless you are prepared to see some disturbing images.)
The twin of just such a baby, now four months old, was safely removed in a hospital near Shanghai. The removed twin was about the size, they say, of a bowling ball and was in the shape of a head with an underdeveloped musculoskeletal structure. Um. I'm thankful her parents were able to find treatment for the baby, as it's likely she wouldn't have survived long without it.
The last such twin receiving media attention, Baby Lakshmi, seems to be doing well after her surgery to remove her extra four limbs.
Photo: www.goshenhosp.com
