A newborn with four arms and four legs has left doctors stunned after being born with an additional undeveloped body structure attached to its torso. The baby, weighing around 3kg, was delivered at a community health centre and was found to have an extra set of limbs attached around the upper chest and abdomen.
Exceptionally rare condition
Doctors believe the extremely rare case could involve parasitic twinning, where an incompletely developed twin remains attached to the normally developing baby. The condition is reported to occur in roughly one in one million live births worldwide.
The unusual birth quickly attracted widespread attention, with crowds gathering at the hospital to catch a glimpse of the newborn while photographs and videos circulated online.
Specialist referral and transfer
The baby was initially kept under observation with its mother before being referred for specialist treatment. Doctors say detailed scans will be needed to establish how the additional body parts are connected and assess the baby's blood vessels, bones, circulation and internal organs.
The case emerged at a health centre in Lavkush Nagar, in India's Madhya Pradesh state, after a 29-year-old woman gave birth on Sunday. Medical staff said the baby's condition appeared stable, but stressed that further specialist assessment was needed before any treatment could be considered.
Transfer and next steps
The newborn is now being transferred to Jabalpur Medical College for further evaluation, with an air ambulance arranged because of the need for specialist care. One hospital staff member said they had never seen such a case during all of their years working in delivery care, while local reports described it as an exceptionally rare congenital condition.
Doctors say surgery could potentially be considered depending on the results of the investigations, but the precise treatment plan will only be known after specialist examinations. The case has since sparked widespread interest online, with images and videos of the newborn rapidly circulating on social media.
