Document Type : Case Report

Authors

1 School of Medicine, Student Research Committee, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran

2 Neonatologist, Pediatric Department, Hamadan University of Medical Sciences, Hamadan, Iran

10.22038/ijn.2023.70579.2374

Abstract

Background

Sirenomelia is a rare congenital anomaly in which two lower limbs are fused causing the mermaid’s tail appearance . Sirenomelia is a very rare syndrome and can be fatal to the infant. This syndrome might be sporadic or have a genetic basis. The etiology of sirenomelia is unknown but said to be multifactorial. Some maternal factors like diabetes melitus, maternal age of less than 20 years and monozygote twinning are suggested to be associated with sirenomelia.

Case presentation

Here we report four cases of this rare anomaly occurred between 2006-2019, at Fatemieh Hospital, a tertiary maternal- neonatal center, Hamadan, Iran. All of the pregnancies were complicated by oligohydramnios. None of the mothers were less than 20 years old, neither did they have diabetes mellitus. Their drug history during pregnancy was negative. All of the newborns had low Apgar scores and died few minutes after birth, indicating their poor outcomes. All of them were first born and did not prenatal diagnosis.

Result

Sirenimelia is a rare lethal condition that prenatal diagnosis is important for planning of abortion

Keywords