Two foetuses removed from baby
2006-03-28 21:45
Islamabad - In a rare operation, Pakistani doctors on Tuesday removed two foetuses, one of them fully grown, from the abdomen of a 45-day-old baby.
The infant, Nazia, was brought to Pakistan's Institute of Medical Sciences (PIMS) in Islamabad with a swollen abdomen four days ago by her parents who are poor labourers from the Swat district in the North-Western Frontier Province (NWFP).
"Such cases in medical history are very rare," Dr Muqqadar Shah, one of the surgeons who performed the surgery, told Deutsche Presse Agentur, dpa.
The doctors carried out the surgery after X-ray and ultrasound tests showed abnormal growth in the abdomen.
The surgeons were surprised to discover a fully-grown foetus weighing 1kg.
"Her mother actually had triplets, but the other two grew in Nazia's abdomen," Shah said.
The condition of the child, who is on life support, is reported to be critical. - Sapa-dpa
- SAPA