The Assuta Medical Center was shocked when they delivered a baby with a dead fetus in her stomach in Ashdod this week.
This is a very rare occurrence that happens in one out of 500,000 cases called "fetus in fetu". After the birth of the baby and discovery of the condition, the baby was operated on, and the fetus was taken out.
"When the woman came to give birth, we got the impression that the baby had a big tummy," Dr. Omer Globus said. "Because of that, the moment the baby was born, we checked her and realized that we can feel something inside her stomach, so we did ultrasound tests among others.
"We were surprised to discover that in her stomach was a partially developed fetus. We immediately took her to the operating room and took it out. The impression we got is that there were originally two babies, and we're checking it. The baby went through recovery for a few days and was released after her condition improved."
Dr. Globus explained that this occurrence can come from twins. At some point during the pregnancy, one of the twins incorporates the other. The phenomenon has also occurred in adults who get tested later in life and discover that they have a fetus in their stomach.
"The other theory is that this is a benign tumor that involves tissue from various parts of the body," Dr. Globus said. "It's rare. Most doctors in my field have heard of these cases, but few have seen them."
The baby is healthy and at home.