In a very unusual medical condition, a baby was found inside the stomach of an unborn child in Maharashtra’s Buldhana. The rare anomaly, known as ‘foetus-in-fetu,’ was detected when a 32-year-old woman went for a routine sonography at a government hospital.
This condition has been recorded only about 200 times in the world, with just 15-20 such cases reported in India. It occurs when one foetus becomes trapped inside another during early pregnancy.
Dr. Prasad Agarwal, the gynaecologist who identified the condition, shared his experience. "I was initially surprised and then carefully re-examined the images. It was indeed a case of a foetus-in-fetu,” he said. The trapped foetus was not developing like a normal baby.
Condition went undetected in early scans
The woman was in her ninth month of pregnancy when doctors found the condition. Earlier sonography reports had failed to detect it due to its extreme rarity.
“This was missed in the previous sonography because this is a very rare condition in which no one can even imagine that such a condition can exist. So, I did a detailed study from a couple of doctors and confirmed it,” said Dr. Agarwal.
Mother’s delivery expected to be normal
Doctors believe that the mother will have a normal delivery. However, after birth, the baby may need immediate medical care.
Dr. Bhagwat Bhusari, the civil surgeon at the hospital, explained, “The mother is likely to have a normal delivery. However, the baby may require immediate medical attention after the birth.”
Although the exact cause of ‘foetus-in-fetu’ is not fully understood, it is believed to occur due to an abnormality in twin pregnancy development. The parasitic twin inside cannot survive independently, making it a developmental defect rather than a true twin pregnancy.
Doctors are preparing to provide the necessary medical care for both mother and child after birth.