The girl — daughter of mother Amlekha and father Ramjilal — was born with the head of her parasitic twin on her stomach, but a 90-minute surgery succeeded in having it removed and the infant is expected to have no medical complications in the future.
The girl is not expected to have any medical complications related to the parasitic twin as she grows up. The baby girl had the head of her parasitic twin attached to her stomach when she was born to Amlekha Bairva, 22, at a small government-run hospital on May 13.
She was rushed to JK Lone Hospital, in Jaipur, northern India, the same evening.
A team of doctors today successfully detached the head - which was completely formed and attached by the neck to the stomach - in a 90-minute operation.
Tanzeel Ur Rehman/Cover Asia Press The girl, who was born in India and has not yet been named, was born with the head of her parasitic twin on her stomach. "The baby will require a second and final operation to reconstruct the exomphalos after 45 days. And she will then be a completely healthy child with no medical complications in the future."
The baby girl, yet to be named, was born naturally and weighed 4 pound, 8 ounces, but soon after her delivery she developed jaundice, which delayed surgery.
Dr. Chetan Sharma (center) examines the baby after the successful surgery. Father Ramjilal Bairva, 29, is overjoyed the surgery was a success.
"I am very happy and thankful to the doctors and God for my daughter's successful surgery," he said. "I could not hold my baby before, but now I will be able to cuddle her.
Tanzeel Ur Rehman/Cover Asia Press Dr. Chetan Sharma (right) was joined in the surgical procedure by Dr. Avnish Bharadwaj (left). Parasitic twins occur when a twin embryo begins to develop in the uterus but the pair doesn't fully separate. One embryo then becomes the dominant development at the expense of the other.