Baby born with four legs and two sets of genitals undergoes successful operation

A baby born with four legs and two sets of genitals has had an operation to remove his surplus appendages.

The unnamed boy – who underwent the complex op in Bengaluru, India – has been declared “God’s gift to us” by mum Lalitamma, 23.

She was initially reluctant to move her son to a specialist facility for an operation due to the high cost.

But surgeons in Narayana Health City Hospital, offered to treat the baby’s polymelia – a birth defect involving extra limbs – for free, and he underwent the three-hour op.

Thankfully the little one didn’t share any major organs with his parasitic twin, and the operation was a success, with the baby already feeding from his mum.

Proud dad Chennabasava, 26, a farm labourer said: “I am really happy to see my baby after the corrective surgery. Now, he will grow up like a normal child without any deformity.”

The couple also have a three-year-old son who Chennabasava says was “born normal”.

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He added: “When I saw this my infant with four limbs and two genitals, I was shocked. I thought God might have punished me for my sins that I might have committed inadvertently. I thought it was a curse on our family.

“But then the almighty sent the these living gods, the doctors to fix the deformity and gift my son a new life and give us a new hope and reinstate our trust on human values of sympathy, empathy and compassion.”

The baby was born on January 21 at Dhadeasugure Primary Health Centre in Raichur, Karnataka.

He was admitted to the Narayana Health City Hospital in Bengaluru a few days later.

A team of doctors, led by Dr Ashley D’Cruz, performed ultrasounds and x-rays to check the operation could go ahead a few days later.

Dr Sanjay Rao said: “The parasitic twin does not have its own heart and circulation. It was getting blood supply from the baby.

“Therefore, it was important for us to know where the blood-supply and blood vessels are connected so that we could safely separate the two.”

“The baby on its own was fine and didn’t have any major anomalies or complications.

“Therefore, it was critical to define everything and plan the surgery meticulously.

Dr D’Cruz added: “Looking at the baby now, we don’t see any major issue. The baby is doing fine and has started feeding on mother’s milk.

“There could be some minor issues as the child grows up. We have to monitor the child to ensure things are going the right way.

“At present there is nothing to suggest that the child will have problems or may not have normal development.”