What is sirenomelia syndrome?

Sirenomelia, which is also known as mermaid syndrome, is an extremely rare congenital developmental disorder characterized by anomalies of the lower spine and the lower limbs. Affected infants are born with partial or complete fusion of the legs.

What causes sirenomelia syndrome?

Hyperthermia and amniotic band disruption are the underlying causes of the occurrence of the mermaid syndrome. The exposure to teratogenic factors, such as air pollution, and mother-to-drug contact with cocaine and tobacco and alcohol cigarettes, and radionuclide are also among the causes.

How long is the life expectancy of mermaid syndrome?

Mermaid syndrome is fatal in most cases due to pulmonary hypoplasia and renal failure resulting from renal agenesis. Half of the children with sirenomelia are born alive and most die within the next five days. Very few cases have been reported where a child with sirenomelia survived.

Is there a cure for sirenomelia?

Treatment, care, and surgery

Surgery has proved successful in separating the legs of some people with this condition.

Who is the longest living person with sirenomelia?

Among some reported cases of surviving infants with Sirenomelia, “Tiffany Yorks” was the longest (27 years) surviving patient till date and she had undergone successful surgery before age of one year to separate her legs.

Mermaid Syndrome | Sirenomelia Causes and Symptoms

What is the prognosis for sirenomelia?

Sirenomelia is associated with severe life-threatening complications and is often fatal in the first years of life. However, survival beyond infancy into later childhood or young adulthood has been reported in a handful of cases.

Can you live with mermaid syndrome?

Sirenomelia (mermaid syndrome) is a rare congenital fetal anomaly with characteristic feature of complete or partial fusion of lower limbs. Although, this syndrome is incompatible with life due to the association of several congenital visceral abnormalities; however, there are few reports of surviving infants.

What gene causes sirenomelia?

Sirenomelia in Chromosomal and Monogenetic Conditions

(1982) described craniofacial, caudal, and also visceral anomalies in sirenomelic mice, in which the Srn gene is considered to be responsible for causing sirenomelia.

How common is a mermaid birth?

An en caul birth, also known as a “mermaid birth” or “veiled birth”, is when the baby comes out still inside or partially wrapped in the amniotic sac. This happens in only 1 in 80,000 births, making it extremely rare. It might look like your newborn is completely gift-wrapped in a soft bubble.

What are the signs of being a mermaid?

What is a rare mermaid birth?

During a mermaid birth, the baby is delivered in a wrapped in a soft bubble, making it look like a gift wrapping. It is also called veiled birth or en caul birth. As per several experts, this kind of birth takes place only in one in 80,000 times.

What maternal disease is associated with sirenomelia?

Poorly controlled maternal diabetes is a known maternal disease to be associated with sirenomelia. However, only ~0.5%–3.7% of sirenomelia cases have been reported in diabetic mothers.

What is the differential diagnosis for sirenomelia?

Differential diagnosis for sirenomelia includes bilateral renal agenesis (Potter syndrome), renal dysplasia, obstructive uropathy, and also severe fetal growth restriction. The diagnosis is not easy in second and third trimesters due to severe oligohydramnios caused by absent or nonfunctioning kidneys [6, 7].

What is a lotus baby?

A lotus birth is the decision to leave your baby's umbilical cord attached after they are born. The umbilical cord remains attached to the placenta until it dries and falls off by itself.

What is a dolphin pregnancy?

Bottlenose dolphin pregnancies are somewhere in the middle lasting about 12 months, a little longer than human pregnancies which last 9 months. Dolphins give birth to a single baby; the baby is usually born tail first (unlike most mammals) to minimise the risk of drowning. The birth can take a couple of hours.

What birth happens every 480 years?

The Czech Republic birth data revealed that quintuplets are born once every 480 years! Hence this is an exceptionally great birth and all the kids and the mum are healthy!

What is a reverse mermaid?

Noun. reverse mermaid (plural reverse mermaids) (cryptozoology) A mythical creature, woman from the waist down, fish from the waist up.

Who was the first person to see a mermaid?

In 1493, sailing off the coast of Hispaniola, Christopher Columbus spotted three sirens or mermaids (Spanish: serenas) which he said were not as beautiful as they are represented, due to some masculine features in their faces, but these are considered to be sightings of manatees.

Is there a mermaid in life?

No evidence of aquatic humanoids has ever been found.

Mermaids — those half-human, half-fish sirens of the sea — are legendary sea creatures chronicled in maritime cultures since time immemorial. The ancient Greek epic poet Homer wrote of them in The Odyssey.

What is a dry birth?

: childbirth characterized by premature escape of the amniotic fluid.

What does a mermaid baby look like?

What does a mermaid birth look like? A mermaid birth is another term for a baby born encased inside an intact amniotic sac. In a mermaid birth, also known as an en caul birth, the baby comes out of the womb in what looks like a bubble. The bubble is filled with amniotic fluid.

What is Irish twins?

Noun. Irish twin (plural Irish twins) (rare, slang, offensive) Either of a pair of siblings born less than 12 months apart, especially if born within the same calendar year or school year or born one year apart. quotations ▼synonym ▲ Synonym: Catholic twin.

How would a mermaid give birth?

12. How are mermaids born? Once again, assuming mermaids reproduce the way fish do, mermaid babies would be born by hatching from eggs. Though it is possible for mermaids to get pregnant and give live birth like dolphins.