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Congenital Amputation of All the Limbs Related with Amniotic Rupture
Author(s) -
SINGH Jay Datta,
SINGH Gajendra
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
congenital anomalies
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
eISSN - 1741-4520
pISSN - 0914-3505
DOI - 10.1111/j.1741-4520.1990.tb00183.x
Subject(s) - medicine , amputation , etiology , pregnancy , gestation , abortion , amniotic band , teratology , amniotic fluid , amniotic sac , surgery , amniotic band syndrome , obstetrics , fetus , genetics , biology
A female infant born with all the four limbs amputated close to the proximal ends is reported. The parents both Indians, having six normal children with poor socio‐economic background denied family history of any congenital anomalies. The mother neither suffered any illness nor had exposure to any known teratogen to the best of their knowledge during this pregnancy. However the mother had attempted to abort this baby in the week 7 of gestation with help of an indigenous mechanical device, a herbal stick, per vaginam which resulted in gushing out of some fluid (amniotic fluid) only. This unsuccessfully attempted abortion neither affected the mother nor the pregnancy apparently and on full term this baby was born. When examined on postnatal day 33, the baby looked very healthy, alert and responsive weighing 3500 g, with CR length 38 cm and occipito‐frontal circumference 35 cm. No abnormalities were observed except that all the limbs were amputated just distal to their proximal end. The baby could move all the stumps of the amputated limbs actively. This case seems to be first of its kind being reported from India. The etio‐pathogenesis of amputation of limbs was reviewed and evaluated in the light of the available literature. Of the possible etiological factors suggested in the literature the most convincing mode of amputation of all the limbs simultaneously in the present case seems to be the multiple amniotic band formation.