Mixed bag of emotions for a first-time mother after she delivered a healthy baby and a malformed headless baby yesterday at Bombay Hospital. The 30 year old was notified earlier about the condition during sonography at her fifth month but she was not willing to abort and cause harm to the normal baby who was in the womb along with the headless fetus, medically termed acardia monster baby. This was a sensitive moment for both the parents who were shocked to see the malformed fetus.

A rare chromosomal disorder, acardia monster baby is a malformed fetus. The condition is characterized by the baby being still born and without a heart of his own. Hence, the baby is forced to survive on the other twin baby in the womb. In the case of the baby born on Thursday, who had no head, brain, neck or face, the fetus is called acardia acephalus baby. The baby had only one limb fingers which were all directly connected to the abdomen.

The condition is very rare and generally occurs in monozygous twins, one in 40,000 live births.

(AW- Anil)