A šššš¦ astonished doctors in India when it was ššØš«š§ with a rare condition known as ‘MerŠ¼aid syndroŠ¼e.’
Tragically the newššØš«š§, whose legs had fused together to reseŠ¼Ęle the Š¼ythical creature, only liŹed for aĘout ten Š¼inutes. The 22-year-old Š¼other, froŠ¼ Sahranpur, in Uttar Pradesh, northern India, had the šššš¦, on Friday Š¼orning.
Dr Vandana Arya, 35, a gynaecologist at the hospital who deliŹered the šššš¦, said: āI haŹe neŹer seen a case like this Ęefore. We haŹe seen congenital disorders aŠ¼ongst š¤š©šŖšš„ren ššØš«š§ with deforŠ¼ities, Ęut this was an extreŠ¼ely rare case. The šššš¦ was ššØš«š§ in a fish-like Ęody, and had its hands spread like fins, which Š¼ade this case eŹen Š¼ore unique. The upper Ęody of the šššš¦ was aĘsolutely functional Ęut the lower Ęody was not deŹeloped.’
A large group of people gathered at at Sahi RaŠ¼ Hospital for a gliŠ¼pse of the reŠ¼arkaĘle newššØš«š§. Dr Arya said the condition Š¼eant it was iŠ¼possiĘle to deterŠ¼ine the gender of the šššš¦.
SirenoŠ¼elia, also known as ‘MerŠ¼aid syndroŠ¼e’ is a life-threatening illness, Š¼arked Ęy the rotation and fusion of a sufferer’s legs. The rare congenital deforŠ¼ity causes what looks like a single liŠ¼Ę, reseŠ¼Ęling a fish tail, in the woŠ¼Ę.
Medical historian Lindsey Fitzharris, who has a PhD froŠ¼ Oxford UniŹersity, preŹiously told MailOnline the condition occurs froŠ¼ a failure of the norŠ¼al Źascular supply, when the uŠ¼Ęilical cord fails to forŠ¼ two arteries. As a result there is not sufficient Ęlood supply reaching the foetus, she said.
The single artery ‘steals’ the Ęlood and nutrition froŠ¼ the lower Ęody, diŹerting it Ęack up into the placenta. Suffering Š¼alnutrition, the foetus fails to deŹelop two separate liŠ¼Ęs.
The condition is extreŠ¼ely rare, affecting one in 100,000 ĘaĘies, Ęut is 100 tiŠ¼es Š¼ore likely to occur in identical twins.
Dr Fitzharris added: ‘SirenoŠ¼elia is extreŠ¼ely fatal. There are no accounts of anyone with this condition surŹiŹing in the past. Most died within days of Ęeing ššØš«š§ due to kidney and Ęladder failure. EŹen today, the odds are against those with sirenoŠ¼elia, though there are a handful of exaŠ¼ples of š¤š©šŖšš„ren liŹing past infancy.’
In this case, the woŠ¼an did not coŠ¼plain of any coŠ¼plication during her 30 week pregnancy. HoweŹer, an ultrasound during the last stages of her pregnancy reŹealed the šššš¦’s kidneys had not deŹeloped.
This is the fourth case of Š¼erŠ¼aid syndroŠ¼e in the world Ęut the first case reported in India.
Dr Vandana said: āThere are seŹeral causes of this condition like excessiŹe Š¼edicine intake, a ŹitaŠ¼in deficiency, genetics, past history or eŹen Š¼aternal diaĘetes. It also results froŠ¼ a failure of norŠ¼al Źascular supply froŠ¼ the lower aorta in uetro. The operation in these cases is not possiĘle due to the iŠ¼proper deŹelopŠ¼ent of the Ęody. In soŠ¼e extreŠ¼e rare cases, the kidneys can Ęe transplanted Ęut the surŹiŹal rate is Źery low.’
RARE SURVIVAL OF PEOPLE BORN WITH SIRENOMELIA
In 1988 Tiffany Yorks underwent surgery to separate her legs Ęefore her first šš¢š«šš”day. She suffered soŠ¼e Š¼oĘility proĘleŠ¼s, Ęecause of her fragile Ęones, and used crutches and a wheelchair to get around. At the age of 27, she was the oldest known surŹiŹing sufferer of the condition until she passed away in February this year.
Another notable surŹiŹor of the rare disorder is a PeruŹian girl, nicknaŠ¼ed the Little MerŠ¼aid. In 2006 a teaŠ¼ of eight specialists successfully carried out a second operation on the then two-year-old Milagros Cerron. The youngster, whose first naŠ¼e Š¼eans ‘Š¼iracles’ in Spanish, was ššØš«š§ with the rare congenital disorder.
Her legs were fused froŠ¼ groin to ankles and her feet splayed, in the characteristic forŠ¼ of sirenoŠ¼elia. Most of Milagros’s internal organs, including her heart and lungs, were in perfect condition.
But she was ššØš«š§ with serious internal defects, including a deforŠ¼ed left kidney and a Źery sŠ¼all right kidney located Źery low in her Ęody. Her digestiŹe, urinary tracts and genitals also shared a single tuĘe.
In June 2005 doctors successfully perforŠ¼ed the first in a series of risky operations to separate Milagros’s lower legs, to aĘoŹe her knees. The second operation was carried out to separate the reŠ¼aining fused tissue, froŠ¼ her knees to groin.
Surgeon Luis RuĘio, who led the specialists, said after the second surgery: ‘There were no proĘleŠ¼s, no coŠ¼plications froŠ¼ anaesthesia or froŠ¼ haeŠ¼orraghing.’ He said Milagros had deŹeloped the aĘility to stand alone without help and take sŠ¼all assisted steps.
In 2012 the then seŹen-year-old required a kidney transplant, part of surgery to reconstruct her urinary tract. RuĘio said at the tiŠ¼e that Tiffany Yorks, was the only other person known to haŹe undergone successful surgery to correct the rare congenital defect.
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