What is Mermaid Syndrome?

 Sirenomelia, also known as mermaid syndrome is a condition where a new born child's legs are fused together at birth. The child may have 2 feet that stick out to the sides resembling flippers, or no feet at all. Sometimes the legs and feet are completely boneless. Unfortunately children with this syndrome usually die close to birth. Along with the deformation of the legs and feet, other abnormalities occur that affect the kidney, bladder, genitals, rectum and the lungs.

      There is no known cause of Sirenomelia, but people usually relate it to poor prenatal care.The loss of nutrients is thought to be one of the possible causes for the fusing of the legs. The loss of nutrition and blood flow causes the lower limbs to fail to form as separated limbs. The kidneys possibly don't form at all or are malformed and the large intestines ends up in the abdominal cavity. The anus is "imperforate" and the internal and external genitalia are absent or malformed.

    Sadly, the condition can be detected by sonogram and if detected the recommended treatment is termination of pregnancy. Symptoms that people can look for with this condition is the absence of kidneys or malformed malfunctioning kidneys, blind ending colon and imperforate anus, small absent,fused or poorly formed pelvic bones, poorly formed genitalia, the fusion of lower limbs, and finally death from underdeveloped and and immature lungs.
       Babies that are born alive with functioning kidneys can survive longer than usual with surgery. Operations to correct the body and reconstruct the urinary and gastrointestinal outlet tracts are almost always needed with this condition.

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