Baby girl born in Central Java with four legs

Sri Wahyuni, The Jakarta Post, Yogyakarta

It is rare here for a surgeon to separate Siamese twins, but currently a medical team at Sardjito General Hospital in Yogyakarta are working on a much more challenging case to save a five-day-old baby girl who was born with four legs to a couple in Klaten, Central Java.

The deputy director of the hospital's maternity and prenatal department, Ahmad Suryono, said here on Tuesday that the medical team comprising of gynecologist, pediatrician, internist, pediatrician and cosmetic surgeon had been working hard since the baby, delivered through Caesarean section at Muhammadiyah hospital in Klaten, was admitted last Friday.

"She was breathing very rapidly when she arrived and her condition worsened the following day," said Ahmad.

The third daughter of Suryani, 27, and Wasilan, 30, of Methukan, Kuncen village, Ceper, Klaten regency, the baby has four legs with two of them attached to the other two, extending to the left and right sides of the baby's body. She also has two vaginas, two urinary tracts, two anuses and two backbones.

Despite the pairs of other body parts, her head, arms and lungs are normal.

Other abnormalities include the lower part of the baby's stomach which is not completely covered with flesh and skin so that several internal organs are visible.

"The other abnormality is that she has a hole in her heart," Ahmad said, causing a lack of oxygen in the blood.

The team of doctors did not state their main objectives in trying to save the baby's life. Many have questioned whether the medical team were trying to help the baby or using the opportunity to further their knowledge.

"We plan to do corrective surgery in phases but it looks impossible now as her condition remains critical.

"That's why the medical team has also decided not to give the 2.1-kilogram and 43 centimeter baby any milk but intravenous feeding instead," he said.

Separately, the head of the hospital's marketing department, Trisno Heru Nugroho, said that the hospital would not charge the family any medical fees and instead would call on prospective donors who were concerned about the baby to provide donations for the medical treatment payable directly to the hospital's management.