Indian newborn 'pregnant' with his twin shocks doctors

Doctors suspect it was a foetus in foetu pregnancy.

This goes beyond the bizarre.
A baby boy was born 'pregnant' with his dead twin. Doctors were shocked to discover a 7cm mass with a brain and limbs behind the newborn baby's stomach during a post-natal scan. The medical team successfully removed the unborn twin from the stomach of the child and they suspect it was a foetus in foetu pregnancy - only 200 of these cases have been recorded in history.

Gynaecologist Dr Neena Nichlani told The Mirror, "It is a case of monozygotic twin pregnancy sharing 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."
Radiologist at Bilal Hospital in Mumbra Dr Bhavna Thorat was able to see an abnormality during a routine pregnancy scan in early July. He claims he spotted a foetal sac with a brain and limbs, however, there was no skull bone on the parasitic twin.
Once the baby was transferred to Titan Hospital in Thane for removal surgery, he was on the road to recovery. The newborn and his 19-year-old mother are now perfectly healthy.

• India