Indian doctors were astounded to find a newborn baby boy had a half-formed foetus inside his body this month.

 

After the little boy was born in Thane city, near Mumbai, doctors discovered the half-formed twin complete with a brain, arm and legs – behind the otherwise-healthy new baby boy’s stomach, according to The Metro.

 

They carried out a successful operation to remove the 7cm mass, and the newborn is said to be doing well after the surgery.

 

Doctors believe that his condition was result of a “Foetus in fetu” twin pregnancy – one of less than 200 ever recorded in the world.

 

Unlike conjoined twins, a parasitic twin is not fully formed and has no chance of survival.

 

 

Gynaecologist Dr Neena Nichlani explained how this condition occurs: "It is a case of a monozygotic twin pregnancy sharing a single placenta, where one foetus wraps itself around and envelops the other and robs the host of its nutrition.

 

"It can be implanted 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.

 

"The parasitic baby was lying behind the stomach, deriving its nutrition from the host."

 

Doctors were able to establish that the second foetus was also a male, approximately 6 to 7cm in length, and have sent the remains for further testing.

 

The abnormality was spotted by an eagle-eyed radiologist, Dr Bhavna Thorat, prior to the birth. Nine days later, the 19-year-old mum delivered the little boy, and a scan revealed his unusual condition.

 

 

Dr Thorat explains: “It was inside a foetal sac of the newborn. I could see bones of the upper and lower limbs of the foetus.”

 

“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.”

 

Thankfully, there was no long-term damage to the little boy, and he is now recovering from the surgery.

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

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