Doctors in Karnataka have reported an extremely rare and unusual medical case in which a newborn male baby was found to have another baby developing inside his abdomen, a condition known as Fetus in Fetu (FIF).
This anomaly, which occurs in approximately 1 in 5,00,000 live births, involves a parasitic twin growing inside its sibling during gestation period.
The baby was safely delivered on September 23 by a full-term pregnant woman at Karnataka Institute of Medical Sciences (KIMC), Hubballi.
Both the mother and child were reported to be healthy. However, scans and ultrasounds revealed rudimentary structures, such as the spine and skull bones of a parasitic twin, developing within the newborn's abdomen.
According to medical experts, FIF is non-viable and cannot develop into an independent child. It may result from a parasitic twin being enveloped during early embryonic development, or it may be a highly differentiated teratoma, a rare type of germ cell tumor that may contain immature or fully formed tissue, including teeth, hair, bone and muscle.
Doctors at KIMC have stated that further examinations will be conducted, and with parental consent, surgical removal of the parasitic twin will be carried out. They emphasised that early intervention is crucial to prevent potential complications and ensure the newborn's long-term health.
KIMC Director Dr. Ishwar Hosamani and Chief Medical Officer Dr. Ishwar Hasabi confirmed the rarity of the case and noted that it has attracted significant attention from the wider medical community.
What exactly is fetus in fetu?
Fetus in fetu is a rare birth condition where an undeveloped twin grows inside the body of the other twin. It is usually found in babies as a lump in the abdomen. Fetus in fetu is usually malformed because of pressure exerted by the host organ. This condition is very uncommon, happening in about 1 out of every 500,000 births, with fewer than 200 cases reported worldwide.
In February this year, a 32-year-old woman from Maharashtra's Buldhana gave birth to a baby boy diagnosed with fetus in fetu. He was later shifted to a government super specialty hospital in Amravati, where doctors found two fetuses with hands and legs in the stomach.
