Unborn twin is surgically removed from the BRAIN of one-year-old girl in China trends now
An unborn fetus has been surgically removed from the skull of its one-year-old twin sister — in a medical anomaly only ever recorded a handful of times.
Doctors said the fetus had developed upper limbs, bones and even fingernails, meaning it likely continued growing for months while inside its sibling in the womb.
The unborn child - who was about 4inches long - was only discovered when the parents took their daughter for hospital scans because she had an enlarged head and problems with motor skills.
Fetus-in-fetu is the medical term for the rare phenomena that sees twins fuse together in the womb and one develops physically inside another.
Only around 200 cases have ever been documented, of which just 18 occurred inside the skull.
The above shows a scan of the infant girl's skull with the unborn fetus pictured inside. The above scan shows the presence of bones
Doctors said the fetus had developed upper limbs, bones and even fingernails, meaning it likely continued growing for months while inside its sibling in the womb
Fetus-in-fetu has also been detected in the pelvis, mouth, intestines and even the scrotum.
The condition is caused by the incomplete separation of identical twins, who form when one egg splits. Doctors don't know exactly how this happens, though.
Some have theorized that the healthy one connects to the mother via the placenta, while the other latches onto the twin's blood vessels.
As the bigger twin grows, the smaller one becomes absorbed into their abdomen. Other scientists have suggested that it happens as a result of late cell division.
The above image shows the 4inch unborn fetus after it was removed from its sibling's skull in China
The unviable fetus may continue to develop for several weeks and months inside its sibling — even forming organs, bones and limbs.
The latest tale was revealed in December in the American Academy of Neurology's journal Neurology.
The
