Story By: John Feng, Sub Editor: Joseph Golder, Agency: Asia Wire Report

Doctors have operated on a newborn just days after he was delivered in order to remove a ‘parasitic twin’ growing inside his abdomen with a head, spine, arms and legs.

The now three-week-old baby boy, born to mum Wang Meng, was found to have been carrying his partially formed sibling just 25 weeks into the pregnancy.

It was in April when the expectant mum from the city of Huanggang in Central China’s Hubei Province was told her unborn child was carrying an abnormal growth in his abdomen.

The suspected teratoma – a tissue-filled tumour – was occupying one third of the foetus’ abdomen, but medics at the local hospital were unable to conclusively identify the growth.

Ms Wang was referred to the Hubei Maternity and Child Health Care Hospital in provincial capital Wuhan, where ultrasounds ordered by Doctor Yang Xiaohong showed that the large sac contained a foetus with a head, spine, partially formed ribs and all four limbs.

It was confirmed to be a parasitic twin – or foetus in foetu – and was a developing embryo which had been absorbed by Ms Wang’s son while growing inside her womb.

“I’d never even heard of foetus in foetu, much less imagine I would become pregnant with a child with that sort of condition,” the mum said.

Her case was handed to surgeon Yang Xinghai, who scheduled an operation for Ms Wang’s son after he was born with a bulging belly on 24th August.

At just four days old, the infant was wheeled into the two-hour surgery in which his parasitic twin was removed.

Medics severed “web-like” major blood vessels between the boy and his sibling, while also repairing an intestinal malformation which they only discovered during the operation.

Ms Wang’s son was discharged from the hospital one week later.

Doctor Yang Xinghai said: “Foetus in foetu is an extremely rare congenital condition.

“The so-called ‘parasitic twin’ cannot survive on its own and must rely on nutrients in the host’s body, growing larger and larger in the process.”

The medic revealed he has done six similar surgeries, but this was his first involving a foetus with a head, limbs and spine.

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