A rare condition had led to a Chinese baby being born with a four-inch tail from its back, leaving doctors dumbfounded.
The condition was identified by the deputy chief physician of Paediatric Neurosurgery Dr Li, following the baby’s birth at Hangzhou Children’s Hospital. Dr Li shared a video on social media of the appendage which shows the unusual growth sticking out from the baby’s behind. Dr Li suspected the growth was due to the result of incomplete degeneration and that the child had a tethered chord, his suspicion was confirmed by a magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). The boneless appendage is said to be almost 10cm (3.9 inches) in length. A tethered spinal cord is a type of condition where the spinal cord is abnormally attached to the surrounding tissues, usually, this attachment is at the base of the spine. Usually, the spinal cord floats freely within the spinal canal, allowing for normal movement and function.
However, when a spinal cord is tethered, the movement is restricted and this can cause various neurological problems. The rare case sparked reactions on Douyin, the Chinese TikTok where the video reached over 34,000 likes and over 145,000 shares after it was shared on 11 March.
One person commented: “How do you fix this? Should the treatment be surgery or just letting it fall off? very curious” Whilst another added: “I think it’s pretty cool. Does it have any effect on the baby’s health?” And a third person said: “I heard about this kind of thing when I was young, but I didn’t expect it to be true.”
Whilst rare, another similar case was discovered in China in 2014 where a baby of five months Nuo Nuo was born with spinal bifida a developmental congenital disorder which leaves a gap in the spine, the Metro reports. A few days after the baby’s birth the mother noticed the five-inch long tail. (Foreign Agencies)
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