Indian doctors have successfully removed “parasitic twins” – two foetuses that were growing inside the abdomen of a 20-day-old baby.
Called foetus in foetu, the condition is extremely rare, with fewer than 200 cases reported worldwide until now, a handful of which were in India.
The condition develops early in pregnancy when a malformed foetus is absorbed by the host twin. Though the foetus is not alive, it continues to develop by absorbing nutrients from the host twin.
In this case, the woman was pregnant with triplets and two of the foetuses began to grow inside the abdomen of the baby.
