A baby born to a couple in Beed, Maharashtra suffering from mermaid syndrome died within minutes after birth. According to reports by PTI, the child was born with both legs fused together at birth, which makes the lower half of the body look like that of a mermaid. The condition is known as sirenomelia apus known colloquially as mermaid syndrome. The gynaecologist attending the case said that the child born at Swami Ramanand Teerth Rural Government Hospital in Ambajogai, died 15 minutes after birth.

The baby’s mother Diksha Kamble, 25 gave birth to the child weighing 1.8kg with a fish-like lower half of the body. The child’s hands appeared like fins and its gender was unclear due to the fusion of both the limbs. Although the child didn’t survive, the mother is said to be safe according to the doctors.

What is Mermaid Syndrome or Sirenomelia?

Sirenomelia apus or mermaid syndrome is a rare congenital anomaly caused when the lower limbs of the infant is conjoined due to the rotation and fusion of the child’s legs. The lower half of the child resembles a mermaid, which gives the condition its unique name. The medical term Sirenomelia is derived from the mythical, mermaid-like Greek sirens, who lured sailors to their deaths with their sweet songs. Sirenomelia is a rare condition with affects one in every 1000000 births.

What Causes Mermaid Syndrome or Sirenomelia?

The exact cause of mermaid syndrome or sirenomelia is unknown. Both environmental and genetic factors could lead to the congenital condition. Some individuals may have a genetic predisposition to the disorder. A person may carry the genes for the disease, which may get activated when the genes are activated due to environmental conditions.

In some, sirenomelia could be caused by abnormalities of the circulatory system and the blood vessels.

Affected individuals have been found with a single large artery in the upper region of the abdominal cavity, without the two arteries that branch out and carry blood to the lower end of the embryo. The single large artery redirects the blood, which is ideally supposed to reach the lower end of the embryo, depriving it of nutrients. This results in a malformed lower half of the body.

There is also a strong link between diabetes and sirenomelia. According to research, 22 percent of the foetuses with this abnormality will have diabetic mothers.

Can it be Cured?

Unfortunately, most of the cases of sirenomelia results in still birth or die within in a day or two due to congenital complications of the genitals, urinary system and the gastrointestinal system. However, some children like Tiffany Yorks from Clearwater, Florida underwent a successful operation and was the longest-surviving sirenomelia patient who lived till 27 year. Shiloh Pepin from Maine was born with no bladder, uterus, rectum, only 6 inches of large colon, no vagina, and with only one quarter of a kidney and one ovary was expected to survive for only a month or two. But she lived till she was 10.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on May 22, 2018 02:10 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).