A Bihar Woman Gave Birth to a Baby With 2 Hearts, 4 Arms, and 4 Legs!

Pregnancy is a normal physiologic process among women. But, sometimes, multiple complications can be associated with the birth process. These complications may arise mainly due to pathologic developmental processes. Here is shocking news related to a woman belonging to Bihar who gave birth to a baby with two hearts, four arms, and four legs but one head.

This rare incident occurred at a private hospital in Bihar’s Saran region. The baby exhibited quite unusual features from a normal baby. The delivery procedure was undergone in a nursing facility at Shyam Chak, Chapra.

What can be the possible cause of such a problem?

Pregnancy is a duration of nine months with multiple undergoing changes to develop an infant. There can be numerous genetic or other abnormalities that can exhibit this pattern. Different doctors offered different opinions to explain this situation. Various doctors explained that identical twins are usually formed from the fertilization of a single egg. Such outcomes can be a result of delayed or incomplete separation of the egg to form separate infants.

Doctors suggest that these extra limbs or body parts can be functional and may contain bones to ensure a balanced skeletal system. But, there can be other missing body parts to reveal abnormal body systems. These extra limbs depict a specific medical condition known as polymelia.

What is the survival rate of such infants?

Reports stated that the infant couldn’t make it and died 20 minutes just after the birth. The survival chances are very low for such infants. Though the infant couldn’t survive, the mother was in good health. The mother has to undergo multiple complications to proceed with the pregnancy. It made the delivery procedure also complicated.

Is it possible to treat polymelia?

Depending on the severity level, polymelia can be treated. There are different techniques that can help to diagnose polymelia and various other abnormalities during pregnancy. The mother needs to undergo an abnormality scan during the sixth month of pregnancy to diagnose any functional abnormality in the fetus. These scans will help you to properly manage your pregnancy period and prepare you for any harsh experience.

What is the most common scan to diagnose such abnormalities?

The most common scan to assess such abnormalities is fetal ultrasound imaging. It helps to diagnose any kind of fetal anomalies that are visible, involving any functional abnormality. Even during the pregnancy period, polymelia can be diagnosed.

Magnetic resonance imaging is a diagnostic tool to find any unusual fetal problems. This approach is relatively uncommon due to the lack of understanding related to the anatomical and pathological aspects.

Conclusion

A Bihar woman gave birth to an infant that exhibits features of polymelia and two hearts with a single head. This incident is quite rare. Doctors suggest multiple genetic changes occurred during the pregnancy period, resulting in such consequences. It may be because of late or incomplete egg separation to form a separate infant. Unfortunately, the infant couldn’t survive and died after 20 minutes of birth.

Frequently asked questions (FAQs)