Gurugram Doctors Successfully Remove Rare ‘Parasitic Twins’ from 20-Day-Old Infant

In a rare and complex surgical breakthrough, doctors in Gurugram successfully removed “parasitic twins” from the abdomen of a 20-day-old baby girl — a condition with fewer than 200 documented cases worldwide.

The infant’s mother had been carrying triplets, but two of the fetuses developed abnormally and began growing inside the abdomen of the third child. This condition, known as parasitic twinning, occurs when identical twins begin to form from a single fertilized egg but the division is incomplete. As a result, one twin develops normally, while the other remains partially formed and dependent on the healthy sibling’s body.

Dr. Anand Sinha, a pediatric surgeon who led the procedure at Gurugram’s Fortis Memorial Research Institute, described the operation as highly challenging. “The baby is now fine and doing well,” he told the BBC.

The infant had been admitted in July with symptoms of abdominal swelling, irritability, and an inability to feed, as the undeveloped fetuses were compressing her stomach. Doctors stabilized her condition by treating dehydration and malnutrition before proceeding with surgery two days later.

The two-hour procedure required careful monitoring to prevent excessive blood loss and to maintain the infant’s body temperature. Following the successful operation, the child was discharged a month later and has since shown no complications.

Dr. Sinha emphasized the rarity of the case and the importance of timely intervention. “Such surgeries are extremely delicate, but we are pleased with the outcome,” he said.