When it comes to giving birth, whether through vaginal birth or caesarean (also known as C-section), it’s always monumental for any mother. So what is any mother supposed to feel then when she learns that her baby is born pregnant and has to go through what she did?
Before you question its viability, this incident happened to mum Mónica Vega from Barranquilla, Colombia.
Ultrasound Revealed The Unexpected: Baby Born Pregnant
According to Insider, and first reported on MAMÁS LATINAS in March 2019, it all started when Mónica took an ultrasound when she was seven months pregnant with baby girl, Itzmara.
Image: iStock
It was revealed that two umbilical cords were connected from Mónica—one from her to Itzmara—and the other connected from Itzmara to her twin, a malformed fetus found in her own body.
Turns out, this phenomenon is due to “Fetus-in-fetu”, a rare condition that usually isn’t discovered until the mother has given birth.
According to the National Institutes of Health, Fetus-in-fetu is very rare, with only one case occurring per 500,000 births.
Fetus-in-fetu occurs when the embryo fails to divide correctly in twins. This usually happens during the first week of gestation. As a result, it causes one twin to be confined in the other’s body, forming a “parasitic” twin.
“Parasitic” Twin With No Heart Or Brain
According to MAMÁS LATINAS, the twin was solely feeding off Itzmara’s heart.
In fear that it would pose harm to Itzmara by damaging her internal organs, Mónica scheduled for a C-section at 37 weeks to remove the twin.
Image: iStock
As risky as it was, within 24 hours of Itzmara’s birth, Itzmara herself had to undergo a C-section. Only then would she be completely free from her twin who had neither a heart nor a brain.
The fact was, whether or not the surgery was done, the parasitic twin would not have been able to survive on its own.
Thankfully, newborn Itzmara emerged safe and healthy after her surgery.
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