What is Mermaid Syndrome and How to Prevent the Birth of a Mermaid Fetus

I believe everyone knows the love story of mermaids, but do you know that there is a mermaid-type defective fetus? So what is mermaid syndrome and how to prevent the birth of a mermaid fetus?

What is Mermaid Syndrome

"Mermaid syndrome" is a rare congenital lower limb deformity. The patient is born with the inner sides of the two legs fused together, which looks like a mermaid's tail. The incidence of "Mermaid syndrome" is similar to that of conjoined twins, but the mortality rate is much higher, because most babies are born without important organs such as kidneys. It is an extremely rare deformity, with a male-female ratio of 27:1. The cause of the deformity is the primary defect of the mesoderm and (or) tail germ layer of the middle and rear axis. Due to the incomplete development or defect of the middle tail structure, the early subembryonic bud fusion (fibular side) is caused. This defect occurs in the primitive stage of the embryo (the third week of pregnancy), before the development of the allantois, so there are often no allantois vessels. Multiple deformities often exist at the same time, or are accompanied by other deformities, such as non-fistula urinary system defects accounting for 19%, reproductive system abnormalities accounting for 17%, lower limb deformities, and lower spine defects accounting for 10% each. The cause of the disease is still a mystery, but medical experts believe that it may be related to genetic genes. Because the blood circulation system of patients does not develop normally in the uterus, their kidneys and other organs are also not fully developed.

How to Prevent Mermaid Syndrome

Experts say that although the exact cause of many defects is still unknown, gene mutations and environmental factors are both factors that cannot be ignored. Each person has 20,000 to 25,000 genes responsible for controlling body structure and chemical metabolism. From a genetic perspective, any problem with any of these genes will lead to congenital developmental defects. Environmental factors are also important for fetal development. If the mother uses medication improperly, gets infected, drinks alcohol, smokes, or is exposed to external physical factors such as sound, light, electronic radiation, and magnetic fields for a long time during pregnancy, the risk of fetal developmental defects will increase to varying degrees. If gene mutations and adverse environmental factors occur at the same time, the risk of congenital diseases is even greater.

Experts remind that premarital examinations and pre-pregnancy consultations can greatly reduce the possibility of fetal malformations. Many congenital developmental defects can be diagnosed before birth and even treated before birth.

Mermaid fetal morbidity

Mermaid fetus is an extremely rare congenital lower limb deformity disease. It is named because the inner sides of the child's legs are adhered or completely fused, and the shape is similar to the mermaid in Western mythology. The incidence rate is about 1.67/100,000.

Mermaid fetuses often have incomplete development of other organs and can only survive for a few hours after birth. Because mermaid fetuses lack genitals, their gender cannot be determined and can only be determined through chromosome testing. Data shows that the male-to-female ratio of mermaid fetuses is 27:1.

Mermaid fetus is an extremely rare congenital lower limb deformity disease, with only 1 case in 60,000 to 100,000 people. The blood circulation system of the sick newborn does not develop normally in the womb, resulting in the incomplete development of the kidneys and other organs. The newborn can only survive for a few hours after birth.

Over the past half century, no more than 10 such children have been found nationwide.