No, a baby cannot be born pregnant in the traditional sense. However, there have been extremely rare cases of a condition called fetus-in-fetu.
Fetus-in-Fetu: A Rare Condition
Fetus-in-fetu is an extremely rare developmental anomaly where a mass resembling a fetus is found within the body of another fetus. This is not the same as a baby being pregnant. Instead, it involves a parasitic twin that fails to fully develop and becomes enclosed within its sibling.
- Rarity: This condition occurs in approximately 1 in every 500,000 births. (Live Science, CNN)
- Example: A well-documented case involved a baby born in Hong Kong in 2010 with the condition, where the baby was found to have underdeveloped fetal tissue within her abdomen. (CNN)
- Mechanism: The exact cause of fetus-in-fetu is unknown.
It is crucial to understand that fetus-in-fetu is a developmental abnormality and not a case of pregnancy in a newborn. A fetus-in-fetu is not capable of further development or reproduction.
