Mermaid syndrome makes the sufferer's body look like a mermaid

Mermaid or so-called mermaid is known to exist only in the world of fairy tales. However, who would have thought that this mermaid-like body shape actually existed in real life? This rare condition is called sirenomelia or known as mermaid syndrome. Mermaid syndrome is a rare disease characterized by leg rotation and fusion that makes the sufferer look like a mermaid. Read on to find out more about mermaid syndrome.

What is Mermaid Syndrome?

Sirenomelia, also known as mermaid syndrome, is a very rare birth defect or a congenital developmental disorder characterized by legs that stick together like a mermaid. This condition occurs in one in 100,000 pregnancies.

In many cases, this rare disease is fatal because the kidneys and bladder cannot develop properly in the uterus. Because of the many sufferings that must be experienced, only a handful of people with sirenomelia can survive. In fact, some babies die within days of birth due to kidney and bladder failure. But one person with mermaid syndrome, Tiffany York survived to the age of 27 and she is considered to be the person with mermaid syndrome who survived the longest.

What are the signs and symptoms of Mermaid syndrome?

There are various kinds of physical disorders that generally occur due to sirenomelia. However there are certain signs and symptoms that vary widely from person to person. Here are some physical abnormalities that generally occur in people with mermaid syndrome:

It has only one femur (long thighbone) or may have two femurs in one skin shaft.
It has only one leg, neither leg nor both legs, which can be turned so that the back of the foot faces forward.
Have various urogenital disorders, namely the absence of one or both kidneys (renal agenesis), renal cystic disorders, absent bladder, narrowing of the urethra (urethral atresia).
It only has imperforate anus.
The lowest part of the large intestine, also known as the rectum, fails to develop.
Have a disorder that affects the sacral (sacrum) and lumbar spine.
In some cases the patient's genitals are difficult to detect so it is difficult to determine the patient's gender.
Absence of a spleen and / or gallbladder.
Disorders that occur in the abdominal wall such as: protrusion of the intestine through a hole near the navel (omphalocele).
Have a meningomyelocele, which is a condition in which there is a membrane covering the spine and in some cases, the spinal cord itself protrudes through a defect in the spine.
Have a congenital heart defect.
Respiratory complications such as severe underdevelopment of the lungs (pulmonary hypoplasia).

What are the factors that cause mermaid syndrome?

The exact cause of this rare syndrome is still unknown. But researchers believe environmental and genetic factors may play a role in the development of the disorder. Most cases occur randomly for no apparent reason to suggest environmental factors or new mutations of the gene.

Most likely, sirenomelia is multifactorial, which means several different factors can play an important role. In addition, different genetic factors can cause abnormalities in different people (genetic heterogeneity). Researchers believe that environmental or genetic factors have teratogenic effects on the developing fetus. Teratogens are substances that can interfere with the development of the embryo or fetus.

Even so, sirenomelia generally occurs because the umbilical cord fails to form two arteries. As a result, there is not enough blood supply to reach the fetus. Blood supply and nutrients are concentrated in the upper body only. This nutritional deficiency causes the fetus to fail to develop a separate leg.