DHARMAPURI: A stillborn baby with a "foetus" in her, a very rare condition called "foetus in fetu" was delivered at a government hospital here and authorities said a genetic study for parents could throw more light on it.
"We found separate thigh and spinal bone in the stillborn baby that was delivered yesterday, a rare condition known as foetus in fetu", Head of Obstetrics and Gynecology, Government Dharmapuri Medical College Hospital, Dr L Malarvizhi told PTI.
Stating that just one in five lakh births have that condition, she, however, said more comprehensive tests would help establish the reasons and corroborate the foetus in fetu condition.
"We could not find any other body parts besides thigh and spinal bones and only two such foetus in fetu cases have been reported in the world so far," she said.
The baby was born to S Revathy and C Shankar who hail from a village near here.
"It weighed 1.8 kg and tests showed abnormality," she said, adding the parents were informed of it and labour pain was induced later.
"It was a normal delivery for the woman and the baby was stillborn."
Asked about the reason behind the condition, she said, "It may be due to consanguinity."
Shankar was Revathy's uncle (mother's brother) and such marriages are not uncommon in Tamil Nadu. This was the first child for the couple who got married two years ago.
On Revathy's chances of developing the same condition if she conceived again, she said, "a genetic study for parents could help find that out and throw more light on the stillborn baby as well."