Baby Is Born, Then Doctors Realize What’s Inside Him

A baby boy was born “pregnant” with his twin brother.

Graphic photos have been released showing the half-formed baby following the birth.

Doctors discovered the baby’s twin brother, with a brain, arms and legs, beside the newborn’s stomach after his mother gave birth, according to the Daily Mail. A short surgery was performed to remove the 3-inch mass.

The birth is a case of “fetus in fetu,” of which there are only about 200 cases ever recorded in the world.

Dr. Bhana Thorat, a radiologist, spotted the issue during a routine scan of the mother while she was in late pregnancy. He said, “It was inside a fetal sac of the newborn.”

“I could see bones of the upper and lower limbs of the fetus,” Thorat added. “The unique thing about it was I could see a tiny head with the brain inside. However, this parasitic twin didn’t have a skull bone.”

The baby was born nine days after the routine scan.

After his birth, the baby was transferred to another hospital for surgery to remove the 5-ounce mass.

The baby and his 19-year-old mother, from Mumbra, India, are in good health following the birth, Thorat says.

“The baby is now doing extremely well and the mother will begin feeding him soon,” he said.

Gynecologist Dr. Neena Nichlani explained how the twin formed.

“It is a case of monozygotic twin pregnancy sharing single placenta, where one fetus wraps itself around and envelops the other and robs the host of its nutrition,” Nichlani said. “It can be implants in skull, abdomen, or tail bone of the host. Sometimes it can also lead to the death of the host because both get nutrition from a single cord.”

Nichlani says the baby will undergo further testing to make sure he is in good health. Doctors are currently awaiting test results.

This type of parasitic twin can sometimes go undetected for decades.

Jenny Kavanagh had a “twin” mass growing inside her for 40 years before anybody noticed, reports the Independent.

Kavanagh saw a doctor to treat severe period pain and was shocked when she was told she had a parasitic mass growing inside her ovary. The mass had a face, with an eye and a tooth, as well as black hair.

“I try not to feel sad about it,” Kavanagh said. “I try to remember that it had no heart and no brain. And that it would have almost certainly killed me if they hadn’t found it and removed it.”

Sources: Daily Mail, Independent / Photo credit: Pixabay, Newslions via Daily Mail