The arrival of a new baby is exciting –– newborns represent life, hope and the promise of love. Babies require hard work and dedication, so your sweet wishes and words of wisdom will mean the world –– especially for first-time parents! After all, so many parents find themselves crying tears of joy or feeling overwhelmed with love as their little bundle of joy is placed in their arms. Though parents probably wish that moment when they meet their new baby for the very first time could last forever, we know that it cannot.
So, when this Colombian woman, Monica, gave birth to a baby girl, Itzamara, she was very happy. But, unfortunately, immediately after her baby was born, the doctors discovered that Itzamara had her twin living inside her abdomen. Doctors noticed the abnormality while Itzamara was still in the womb of her mother, Monica, which is actually pretty unusual as it’s typically only noticed in infancy. During an ultrasound in week 35 of the pregnancy, they noticed the baby appeared to have a cyst, but a closer inspection revealed it was actually a “fetus” that was inside the abdomen.
Itzamara was born via Cesarian-section at 37 weeks with a healthy birth weight of 7 pounds. Just one day after her birth, doctors had to perform keyhole surgery to remove the barely formed – but still growing – twin. The fetal twin was just 14 millimeters tall with no heart, no brain, and only rudimental limbs. After cutting the umbilical cord that bound them, the fetus died.
According to IFL Science, the scientists were not certain why fetus-in-fetu can arise; however, it’s believed to occur during the first few weeks of twin pregnancies after one fetus wraps around and envelops the other. The enveloped twin then becomes “parasitic” and relies on the blood supply of the “host” twin. The condition is sometimes misdiagnosed as a teratoma. This is a germ cell tumor made up of several different types of tissue, such as hair, muscle, nail, or bone. A highly developed teratoma can, therefore, sometimes appear to look like an underdeveloped fetus. As for Itzamara, she is in good health and well on her way towards making a full recovery.
Featured Image – Representative
