Indian doctors have successfully removed parasitic twins - two foetuses that were growing inside the abdomen of a 20-day-old baby.
Called foetus in foetu, the condition is extremely rare, with fewer than 200 cases reported worldwide until now, a handful of which were in India.
The condition develops early in pregnancy when a malformed foetus is absorbed by the host twin. Though the foetus is not alive, it continues to develop by absorbing nutrients from the host twin.
In this case, the woman was pregnant with triplets and two of the foetuses began to grow inside the abdomen of the baby.
The surgery was challenging but the baby is healthy and doing well, Dr Anand Sinha, a paediatric surgeon who led the operation, told the BBC.
The infant was discharged from hospital a month back and there have been no complications so far, he added.
The doctor said the recovery period after the surgery is crucial, as infection or other complications could prove fatal for the child.
In the latest case, the parents admitted their 20-day-old baby to Fortis Memorial Research Institute in Gurugram in July.
She had a bloated abdomen, was irritable and unable to eat anything because the foetuses were squashing her stomach, Dr Anand said.
A scan showed two tumour-like shapes inside her abdomen, which were actually the malformed foetuses.
Dr Anand said surgery could not be performed immediately as the baby was dehydrated, malnourished and first had to be stabilised. Her condition improved after two days, and then a team of about 15 doctors performed the surgery.
The operation took about two hours, but required special instruments due to the baby's delicate size. Moreover, since the foetuses were attached to major organs, they had to be extracted without causing damage.
Dr Anand noted that if left unchecked, such conditions can lead to significant complications later in life, although they are rarely cancerous.
