A baby girl with a parasitic twin is doing well after an extensive surgery last March 8. Doctors remove the extra legs and feet growing from the 10-month-old's neck, which were part of her underdeveloped twin. They express confidence she will fully recover.
The Children's Medical Mission West flew baby Dominique to Illinois from the Ivory Coast in Africa for the special surgical procedure. A team of 50 doctors with five surgeons examined her rare case, where her parasitic twin's waist, legs, feet and spine remained connected to her body. They mapped out Dominique's six-hour surgical procedure to ensure the baby will be alright.
Doctors said Dominique won't be able to have a long life if she didn't have the surgery. Her heart and lungs were technically working to sustain and nourish two bodies and the abnormality will continue to grow as she grows. Thus, the physical strains could worsen had they not intervened, as per CNN.
Dr. John Ruge of the Advocate Children's Hospital said parasitic twin cases, which are one in a million, happens when identical twins fail to separate during the early stages of pregnancy. A 2008 study cited lack of blood supply in the womb as a likely cause to the rare case.
Meanwhile, the Children's Medical Mission West also arranged for Dominique's foster family in America. Nancy Swabb's family took her in and the baby will remain in their care until her return home in mid-April.
Weeks after her operation, the hospital presented Dominique to the media along with the Swabb. Their press conference went live on Facebook, where the foster mom said the baby lost the extra weight and she can now sit up well or raise her arms higher.
The Swabbs constantly communicated with Dominique's mom. "We send a lot of photos and updates and so we know that Dominique's family sees what she's doing," Swabb said, as per Reuters.
"We had 100 worries before surgery, and risks were high, so we're pleased with how she's doing," Ruge said of Dominique's progress. The doctor acknowledged everyone from the surgeons and specialists, to the Pediatric Intensive Care Unit and the nursing staff, who helped on Dominique's case.
