4-Month-Old Male Infant in South Korea Has a '6cm Fetus' in His Abdomen... "Presumed Identical Twin"

Human-like Appearance Resembling 'Parasite Fetus'... Shock in Local Area

A parasitic fetus was discovered inside the abdomen of a newborn only 4 months old. Notably, the parasitic fetus found this time was reported to have developed hair, spine, and eyes, resembling the appearance of a human, causing shock.

Parasitic fetus found inside an infant's abdomen. It looks as if a person is smiling.
[Photo by Weibo]

According to major foreign media on the 1st, recently, the Pediatric Surgery Department of Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University in Hubei discovered and removed a parasitic fetus, presumed to be a monozygotic twin, from a cyst under the diaphragm in the abdomen of a 4-month-old boy.

The parasitic fetus removed by surgery was about 6 cm in size, and it was reported that the fetus parasitizing the boy's body appeared to have grown together as the child grew. At the time of discovery, the parasitic fetus was said to have developed hair, eyes, and spine, resembling the appearance of a human.

Generally, parasitic fetuses are often found in incomplete forms. However, in this case, the parasitic fetus had a somewhat human shape, which greatly shocked the medical staff who performed the surgery.

In particular, the parasitic fetus's appearance in the pre-surgery X-ray looked as if it was smiling like a person, causing shock. Regarding this, the child's biological mother was reportedly hesitant about the surgery, engulfed in illusions and fear as if she were committing a killing before the parasitic fetus removal surgery.

However, Dr. Jang Won, who performed the surgery, persuaded the mother by saying, "A parasitic fetus is a rare congenital disease and can be treated with surgery. A parasitic fetus is not truly a living being; it absorbs nutrients from the host and even if it survives, it has no benefit and can rather threaten the health of the normal fetus."

The parasitic fetus removal surgery was completed after about 1 hour and 30 minutes. The baby is currently recovering normally and is expected to be discharged soon.

An infant receiving treatment at Zhongnan Hospital of Wuhan University, Hubei Province, China.
[Photo by Weibo]

A parasitic fetus is a type of teratoma first recorded in the British Medical Journal in 1808. It is born from a separated fertilized egg that should have been discarded and grows parasitically on a normally fertilized fetus. Since it cannot survive independently, it is also called "fetus in fetu."

Last November, eight parasitic fetuses were found inside the abdomen of a girl born in India. Each parasitic fetus was about 3 to 5 cm in size.

In 2012, a parasitic fetus measuring 25 cm and weighing 700 g was found inside the abdomen of a 3-year-old boy born in Peru. The parasitic fetus, which had grown together with the child for three years, had grown hair and had nearly complete eyes and spine.

The incidence of parasitic fetus is very rare, about 1 in 500,000, and only about 200 cases have been reported worldwide so far. It is generally found in infancy but there are very few cases in adults. It appears as a large mass in the abdomen, so without detailed examination, it is easy to mistake it for a simple tumor.

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.